


Death begins in rebirth

by defwithoutsleep



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: F/F, amar a muerte except the toxic narco dad, chaewon is a complete dick, frustrating af leads, okay not really amar a muerte but inspired
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2020-07-17 05:40:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 34,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19947442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/defwithoutsleep/pseuds/defwithoutsleep
Summary: When gangster Kim Chaewon wakes up at the hospital, she's ready to the kick the ass of whoever tried to murder her... except she is not Kim Chaewon... or at least her face isn't that of Kim Chaewon. Somehow, she has woken up in someone else's body. And somehow, that someone else has a fiancé that won't just leave her be.





	1. Chapter 1

Chaewon is not one to have nightmares. In fact, she is not one to dream, either, which is why, when she wakes up, she often does so calmly, at the usual 5 am to ready herself for training. It is then, strange, when she wakes up, gasping wildly, clutching onto the surface that she laid on. She is blind-sided for a moment, not quite grasping what was going on (but still feeling something strange on her belly and head), but when she finally gets out of her stupor, she looks at her surroundings.

It was a very sterile place, where mostly everything was metallic, including the surface she laid on. She jumped, now aware that she was naked. What the hell?

There were some instruments on one chair next to the table she was lying in a few seconds ago, and it made Chaewon think the worst. Was she being harvested? Was this seriously happening?

“Someone is going to receive an ass-whooping,” Chaewon gritted out as she walked towards the exit, giving no shits about being naked.

She entered into another room, where a person in scrubs was working on some papers, looking at them intently. Chaewon took the opportunity to sneak without being seen to then slam him against the table the papers were.

“Who the fuck are you and where the fuck am I?” Chaewon snarled as the man below her wheezed, having had the air taken out of his lungs forcefully.

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” the person choked out, almost pissing their pants at their unknown attacker, who grabbed him and slammed him against a locker.

“I said, who in the fuck are you?” Chaewon repeated viciously, grabbing onto the man’s shirt. The man took her in for a few seconds, and then his eyes widened in fear.

“How-”

“Stop stalling or I’ll make you wish you never met me.” Pressed against the locker, the man looked extremely surprised, and terrified, which made Chaewon smirk a little. Maybe she was more known than she thought she was.

“How are you even alive?” the man choked out, ignoring Chaewon’s threats, which made the latter growl in anger to then punch the man in the face.

“What? Were you expecting me to be dead? You son of a bitch.” Chaewon, kicked the man in the stomach, making him fall onto the floor, groaning in pain. “WHERE. THE. FUCK. AM. I.” She emphasized each word with a kick.

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing!” A man screamed as he ran into the room. Chaewon left the other man on the floor, turning to look at the new intruder. Smirking at his also horrified, frozen state, she slowly walked to him, her expression now threatening.

“Since your friend was no help, could you tell where am I?” she asked with a sweet voice, knowing that the man could see his partner gasping on the floor, probably unable to even get up.

“You...” the man said before he ran away, screaming deafeningly, making Chaewon wince. What the hell was this guy’s problem? How could someone as weak as that be into organ harvesting? Deciding to not follow him, she concentrated again on the man on the floor.

“Your friend fled,” she said again sweetly, caressing his hair slightly. “And there is no one to help you now.”

“Please, no more,” the man pleaded, making Chaewon giggle.

“I was just asking a simple question, wasn’t I?” she laughed lightly again, then slammed the man’s face onto the floor. “Where am I?” she asked harshly after hearing a sickening crack.

“You... you are at the morgue,” the man cried out.

“Why am I at the morgue?” Chaewon asked, surprised at his answer. Morgue? This meant two things, either she was at a hospital or she was at a police station, both of which were not the answers she was expecting.

“You died,” the man answered, his voice still cracked with pain. “How are you even...?”

“I guess we will never know, huh?” Chaewon declared humorously, before pulling his hair.

“How the fuck do I get out of here?”

“You can’t. We need to...” the man groaned when Chaewon slammed his face again onto the floor.

“Let’s try this again. How do I get out of here?”

“The emergency exit... in the next room.”

“See? That wasn’t so hard, wasn’t it?” she said, letting her grip on him go. He wouldn’t be a problem at all.

“It’s time to go look for that exit.” Walking towards the next door, she quickly realized there was a group of people, screaming man at the front, heading her way, probably to finish the job and take her out. Unafraid at the circumstance (all of them looked pretty weak), she faced them head on, stepping lightly on the linoleum floor.

The men on the crowd didn’t even stop to talk to her, as they immediately tried to restrain her. Chaewon was able to punch one of them in the face, another one in the stomach, avoiding a third one trying to grab onto her arms. She quickly noticed her reflexes were slower than usual, but she attributed it to the fact that they had tried to kill her, and continued evading everyone’s attacks, trying to keep up with the people wanting to grab her. She didn’t notice anything amiss until a buzzing sound resounded in the room, making her shake, to then fall unconscious again.

Shit.

\--

Kim Minju, despite her biggest desire to hide it, was an idealist at heart. Always liking the movies with the happy ending, the grand miracles that came with moving films, it was sometimes hard for her to let hope go. Hope, as they say, is the last thing to die.

Which is why, when she was crying at home, having received the news of her fiancee’s death, was quickly overjoyed when she received a phone call, telling her that Eunyoung, somehow, had miraculously returned to life. The details were fuzzy to her, as when as soon as she heard her love was alive, everything else was just noise to her. She quickly grabbed her keys and hollered to her father and Eunyoung’s parents that Eunyoung was alive. All three of them called out to Minju, wanting an explanation, but Minju couldn’t stay there a minute longer, wanting to be at Eunyoung’s side.

When she finally arrived at the hospital, the doctor quickly intercepted her.

“Kim Minju, right?”

“Yes, are you Eunyoung’s doctor?” Minju asked, knowing that the answer was yes. The man nodded.

“As much as I am overjoyed about your fiancee and you, I think I need to tell you something before you see her.” Minju frowned, not liking the doctor’s tone.

“What is it?” she asked, fearing the worst.

“Miss Bae isn’t all that well.”

“Why? Is she injured?” she asked, deathly worried.

“No, not at all. If anything, she woke up quite energetic... But...” the doctor scratched his nape. “She injured a mortician.”

“What? What do you mean? Did she wake up very surprisingly?”

“You could say that,” the doctor answered flustered, debating on how to tell Minju. “She broke his nose.”

“What? Why? What happened?” Minju stopped walking, shocked by the doctor’s words.

“I don’t know. All I know is that she hit him and slammed him onto the floor several times, breaking his nose.”

“Is he okay?” Minju asked, feeling sorry for the man, her heart twisting with foreboding at the doctor’s words. “Is Eunyoung okay?”

“Jaesook will be fine. He won’t press charges, I think. About Miss Bae...” he hesitated. “She had to be restrained by force, as she was behaving violently against hospital staff. Now, I am sure you are ecstatic to see her alive, as most of the staff. However, I recommend you tread carefully when talking to her. While she may look alright... there are some tests that we will have to do in the following days, so she won’t be able to leave.”

“I am so sorry for causing this much trouble. Eunyoung usually is not like that,” Minju apologized, hoping to speak with Eunyoung and have her explain her actions, of course, after giving her a bear hug.

“I believe you,” the man said, smiling tightly. “One more thing. She is unconscious now, but she will wake up soon. Please, don’t bombard her with questions. Treat her carefully, as she is most likely still disoriented.”

“I will. Thank you so much, and I am so sorry about her behavior.” Minju bowed deeply.

“Don’t worry about it now. Then, I will take my leave.” The doctor walked in the opposite direction, probably having other things to do. Minju resumed her walk to Eunyoung’s room (which had been provided in the phone call), worried about everything the doctor had told her. Had Eunyoung been scared? Had she been that disoriented? She hoped her girlfriend would be more at ease with her at her side when she woke up.

Remembering her father and her in-laws, she called her father, quickly informing him of the situation, asking him to tell Eunyoung’s parents about it. When she hung up, she was already at Eunyoung’s room. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door.

\--

Chaewon groaned, blinking quickly, trying to get used to the intense lighting in the room. She could hear excited sounds far from her, making her frown at the noise.

“Shut up,” she slurred as she moved slowly, trying to sit up on the... bed?

“Oh, my god,” a soft voice exclaimed, the owner of it, grabbing onto Chaewon’s hand. She could hear other voices in the background, but this one was the most clear to her in the moment. Unconsciously, she squeezed the person’s hand, which unleashed a rain of kisses on her face, which woke her up almost immediately.

“Wait, wait, wait. Stop!” she said, grabbing onto that person’s cheeks. It was a young woman, probably the same age as her, with such gorgeous features, Chaewon would have mistaken her for a model.

“What are you doing?” she asked without bite, not that against a pretty girl showering her with kisses, though she would prefer it to be in another setting.

“What do you mean?” the woman exclaimed excitedly. “Eunyoung, you are alive. You are here, you are safe, you are alive.”

“That I am,” Chaewon said dryly. She was alive, alright. “As much as I am bursting with joy at the news, though, there is one thing: I think you got the wrong person, lady.”

“What... do you mean?” the woman’s face tightened with wariness.

“What else could I mean? I am not this Eunyoung girl, as you can see.” The woman looked at her, as if she was trying to assimilate her words. Was this girl from the psych ward, or what the hell?

“Stop joking, Eunyoung. I mean it,” the girl answered, her voice wavering.

Chaewon sighed exasperatedly. “As much as I’d like to be, though not really, I am not this Eunyoung you are talking about.” The woman looked at her disbelievingly, taking a few steps back.

“Eunyoung, stop.”

“Are you from the psych or some shit?” Chaewon asked, trying to stand up. “What the fuck...?” There were some tubes connected to her body, so she tried ripping them off.

“Stop, Eunyoung!” the woman said, trying to stop Chaewon from taking them off. She was no match for Chaewon, who quickly took them off, giving no attention to the blood spilled onto the hospital sheets.

“Girl, stop calling me that. I am not that Eunyoung whatever,” Chaewon directed, pushing the girl to the side, already tired of the pointless conversation. Walking to the bathroom, she tried looking for anything familiar. “Where are my clothes? Where the shit are my...? Oh, no.” She remembered suddenly everything that had led to this moment, the moment she had died, the moment she had woken up at the morgue. Searching for the mirror, she finally looked at herself.

Only that the image in the mirror was not her.

“What the fuck?” she whispered, grabbing her face, touching roughly every inch of it. She repeated that phrase as a litany, slowly backing away from the bathroom.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”


	2. Chapter 2

Minju had slammed the door to Eunyoung’s room, her whole body shaking with Eunyoung’s words. Her father, who had arrived a few minutes before Eunyoung woke up, along with her in-laws, hugged her to his chest.

“What happened? Minju, are you okay?” her father asked as she melted into his embrace.

“E-eunyoung. I don’t know... I...” she stammered, still unable to voice out her worst fears.

Eunyoung pushed her.

Eunyoung would never dare to shrug her aside like that.

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

“Was that Eunyoung?” Eunyoung’s mother asked, her brow creased in worry. How could she not worry, when Eunyoung, never, ever, cursed?

“I-I don’t know...” Minju answered, tears sliding silently against her cheeks. “She just...”

“Miyoung, get a doctor. I’ll go check out on Eunyoung,” her fiancee’s father told his wife while he walked into the room where his daughter was supposed to rest. Minju just pressed herself onto her father, still wordless, not wanting to think about what this meant.

\--

Chaewon was now sitting on the bed, mindlessly rubbing her cheeks, her brain uttering a continuous chant of ‘fuck’. Was she dreaming? Had she finally gone insane?

“Eunyoung,” a man said as he entered the room. His features where calm, which made Chaewon feel more on edge for some reason.

“Who are you?” Chaewon asked for what felt the fiftieth time.

“It’s me, Eunyoung-ah. Your father.” Chaewon wanted to snort, but stopped herself.

“You are Eunyoung’s father?” The man nodded slowly. “And this Eunyoung person looks like me?”

“You are Eunyoung,” the man announced slowly.

“I am not,” Chaewon snapped, sighing after. “Look,” she said, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know who you damn people are, but I’m not the girl you are looking for. I may look like her or something, but I am not this Eunyoung girl. I just want to leave this place, look for myself or something.”

“I’ll look for someone to authorize your discharge,” he said, surprising Chaewon, but her surprise lasted little. He agreed quickly, a little TOO quickly.

“Thank you,” she said, though she actually didn’t mean it. “You can leave now. There’s nothing to speak with me. Look for your daughter or something.”

The man stayed silent for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but then nodded, and left the room.

Chaewon knew the man was lying to her. There was no way he actually meant to look for someone to discharge her. He probably still thought she was this damn girl, and he couldn’t blame him, if she was honest.

But that wasn’t her problem.

Her current problem was that she was murdered by who knows who the fuck, and she woke up in this foreign body.

She needed to find who killed her and make the fucker pay.

But she still needed to figure out where she was.

Which led her to a different dilemma. Should she pretend she was Eunyoung and let these people help her locate herself? Or should she just escape this damn place and go her own way?

Fuck it, she would do as she pleased. Kim Chaewon never needed help from anyone. Depending on someone wasn’t an option.

The door didn’t have a window, so that was a good thing. All she needed to do was open the window and jump.

She opened the window and was greeted with the unbearable sight of an eight story fall. It was impossible. She would die again if she even tried it.

If she escaped through the doors? She laughed out loud gruffly. It was stupid to think they would let her leave. At least that girl was outside and she would probably try to prevent her from leaving the same way she tried to stop her from taking out that shit inserted into her arm.

Then...

The door opened, revealing the man who said to be her father and a doctor, who held a clipboard in his hand. Chaewon rolled her eyes. He wasn’t planning on letting her leave, obviously.

“Good afternoon.”

“What do you want?” she growled, irritated at the sight of the doctor. She hated hospitals... and doctors.

“Your... Mister Bae told me here that you are not Miss Bae. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“And according to Mister Bae, you’d like to be discharged.”

“Yes,” Chaewon deadpanned, feeling little amusement at the condescending questions.

“If you’d like to be discharged, we need you to take several tests, just to make sure you are in perfect condition. After that, you are free to go.”

“And if I don’t want to take the tests?” The doctor raised his eyebrow.

“You can deny them, but it is in your best interest if you take them.”

“I’d rather not,” Chaewon answered looking at her nails. “When can I leave this place?”

“We would need you to sign a few papers and then you are good to go. Do you have somewhere to stay?”

“That’s my business.” Chaewon raised her head to look at the doctor. “Bring the papers. Now.”

Chaewon felt glad at the irritation painted on the doctor’s face. She smirked slightly, turning to look at the window.

“I’ll try to bring them to you as soon as possible. However, I still do recommend that you take the tests.”

“And I still think it’s a waste of time.”

“Alright. I’ll see what I can do,” the doctor said, but his face reflected a combination of worry and irritation, which made Chaewon think that he would try to convince her to do the tests.

The doctor left, leaving Chaewon and the other man in the room.

“Do you need something?” she asked when the man stayed put without uttering a word.

“I just... I know you are not my daughter, but I just wanted to extend the invitation for you to have dinner at our house. No strings attached.”

Chaewon eyed him critically. It was the perfect moment for her stomach to rumble, warning her of her hunger. Well, it was one dinner, and he said no strings attached so he had no right to get mad at her when she, for another time, told him that she has nothing to do with him.

“Alright. I guess it’s fine,” she shrugged. The man smiled widely.

“Could I also ask a favor from you?”

“I don’t do favors,” she bit, not wanting to have anything else to do with this man. Give them a centimeter and they’ll take a whole kilometer.

“Please, just this one thing,” he pleaded. “Let my wife see you.”

“No,” Chaewon shook her head. “You said no strings attached. I ain’t meeting anyone else.”

“Please. Since we don’t know where our daughter is, I just want her to see you and feel more at ease.”

“It’s not my problem,” Chaewon answered. “If you just extended this ‘invitation’ just to manipulate me, then I’ll have you know I am not an idiot.”

“No, I don’t have hidden motives!” the man exclaimed, his face betraying the nervousness he felt.

“Sure you don’t.” She looked at him impassively. “Alright then. I’ll let her see me. But no hugs, no ‘oh, you’re alive Eunyoung’, you hear me? I ain’t going to play house for you or your family.” The man looked genuinely hurt by her words, but said nothing, only nodding and leaving the room. A few moments later, a short woman entered the room.

“Eunyoung-ie.” Here we go again...

\--

Minju had calmed down when the doctor had left Eunyoung’s room for a second time. Still hanging onto her dad, she waited for her father-in-law to come out of the room and know about Eunyoung’s condition. When he came out, she quickly asked him.

“How is she?”

“It’s...” he looked frustrated, and also quite hurt. “She doesn’t remember at all. She continually says that she is not Eunyoung, that she is someone else.”

“And are they going to help her?” Eunyoung’s mother asked, her expression betraying the beginnings of grief.

“She refused to take the tests. She said she wanted to leave now.”

“I want to see her,” the older woman pleaded.

“Go in,” Eunyoung’s father answered. “But do understand that she will deny knowing you or us.”

The older woman, though saddened at his husband’s words, nodded, resolute. She entered the room, not looking back at a shaking Minju, who now was convinced of Eunyoung’s condition, already having processed the fact that she has some sort of amnesia.

“Everything will be okay, darling,” her father soothed, patting her back softly. “This is just an obstacle in a course filled with many. You two will be fine.”

“I do hope so, dad,” she sighed.

Eunyoung’s mother came out after some moments, her face solemn.

“She really doesn’t remember us,” she said, her voice tinged with grief. Her husband hugged her slightly.

“At least she is alive,” he said consolingly. “She is here, she is alive, and she will recover. We will help her.”

Minju nodded, her mind still in a whirl. She loved Eunyoung. She would do anything for the girl, no matter how hard it would be.

Even if it meant living with a complete stranger.

\--

Chaewon was now sitting in a car, her head leaning on the window, now on her way to this family’s house to have dinner, “no strings attached”.

“What types of foods do you like?” her self-proclaimed father asked, making her sigh. She was regretting her decision already.

“I don’t have any type of preference. I’ll eat whatever you serve me.”

“But there must be something. Allergies?”

“No, no allergies,” she answered, short on patience. “I’ll just eat whatever.”

After that there was only silence, which Chaewon was grateful for. She couldn’t believe she was crowded the moment she signed the papers for her discharge. The woman from before and another dude, together with her “parents” had made a circle around her, telling her many things at once. She just ended roaring at them to leave her alone.

And now, here she was.

In reality, she could have just already left for her own business, probably stealing from some unsuspecting fool to eat, but she felt this strange curiosity to know more about the person who lived in this body before all of this happened.

She still wished this was all a dream, that she was somehow roped into trying another of Jang’s shitty concoctions, and she ended up hallucinating, real bad, but there was a part of her that told her that this was real, very real, and she didn’t like it.

She had lived for many years without an attachment to no one, and it left her free from anyone’s bullshit expectations, so the idea of entertaining a grieving family didn’t make for a good representation of freedom.

Ah, whatever, she’ll get dinner, satisfy her curiosity for a little bit, then bye bye. She doesn’t mind smashing more heads to the ground if necessary.

“Here we are,” the father announced as the car slowly came to a halt. Looking through the window, Chaewon admired a modest, but nice two-story house with a red brick frontage. The windows were white and it made her think about the outdated feel of the house. Some of the debtors she collected from had better sense of style than this...

Getting out of the car, she waited for the older couple to continue walking, but when there was no movement, she turned to look at them. Both were looking at the house as if it was the first time they had seen it.

She waited for them to stop their contemplation, but quickly got tired of it.

“So...” she said, making the couple in front of her wake from their weird trance.

“Ah, yes,” the father said, quickly looking inside his pockets for the house key. “Is it alright if Minju and her father have dinner with us?”

“I don’t give a shit either way,” she said, shrugging. Minju was, most likely, the girl that was kissing her when she woke up. She wouldn’t mind her presence as long as she didn’t try to pin her as Eunyoung again.

The house had a homely feeling, making her feel like she was in one of those Christmas movies, which actually fit, as there was Christmas tree right in the living room. There were many photos and other shenanigans hung on the wall.

“Here we are,” the man said, putting the keys on a bureau. “Feel free to sit on the couch while Miyoung prepares dinner.”

“Alright,” Chaewon said as she sat on the largest sofa, putting her feet on the coffee table in front of her.

“Huh,” she exclaimed lowly as she inspected the things hung up there. “Valedictorian, Bae Eunyoung. Literature, third place. Wow, ain’t this girl a prodigy.”

“She entered that contest on a whim,” a voice said, taking Chaewon out of her reverie. Minju walked slowly towards her, her expression thoughtful. “She wasn’t sure of herself at that time, but I just told her that there was no harm in trying, that even if she didn’t get any award, she should enter anyways.”

“But what’s even the point if you don’t win?” Chaewon asked, raising an eyebrow. Minju smiled.

“The experience you gain from it is an award.” Chaewon snorted.

“Bullshit.” Minju’s smile disappeared.

“Do you curse a lot?”

“Does it bother you?” Chaewon asked, not really interested in the answer.

“Where did you learn to do that?” Minju asked instead, seemingly also uninterested in answering Chaewon’s condescending question.

“Here and there,” Chaewon answered, looking at the tree. “So, you’ve known her for a long time.”

“I have,” Minju answered, her voice quieter. “We’ve known each other since middle-school.”

“Childhood friends, how cute,” she exclaimed, but her voice was devoid of any emotion.

“Uhm,” Minju seemed at a loss, like she didn’t know what to say, which suited Chaewon fine. She wasn’t in the mood to talk anyways.

“Would you like me to give you a tour?”

“Sure,” she said, getting her feet off the table. “Let’s see who this Bae Eunyoung is.”

They went slowly through the house, with Minju stopping every now and then, probably trying to stir a reaction out of Chaewon, but this meant nothing to her. Her body might be that of Eunyoung’s, but her mind was that of a foul-mouthed, angelic-looking ass-kicker.

It was fascinating, nevertheless. While her family wasn’t shit, they never were the affectionate kind. Taking thousands of pointless pictures and hanging them all over the house was a ludicrous idea to Chaewon, but one she could understand. Eunyoung seemed to be a brainy, taking awards left and right, proved by the trophies and plaques scattered around the house. If she was Eunyoung’s mother, she would probably feel pride too.

“Would you like to see Eunyoung’s room?” Minju asked stopping at one of the doors on the second floor.

“Sure, show me,” she said, wishing that her words were used in another, more pleasurable context, instead of this freaky soul exchange.

Eunyoung was a neurotic person. The room was squeaky clean, not a thing out of place. It kind of unnerved Chaewon.

“Wow, ain’t she a clean girl,” she whistled, looking around the room. Minju stayed quiet, which surprised Chaewon, as the girl had been very active in explaining the house layout to her. When she turned to look, she found a crying Minju, tears quietly sliding down her cheeks, but her eyes fixated on her.

“W-what? What did I do?” she asked bewildered, genuinely confused at the other woman’s reaction.

“Nothing. It’s nothing,” the woman said wiping her tears. “I’m just reminiscing.” She gave a pained smile, which, somehow, moved something within Chaewon.

“Alright,” Chaewon answered slowly, ignoring the feeling. “I’ll go downstairs.”

“No, don’t worry. I’ll go with you.” Oh, Chaewon didn’t worry. She was just uncomfortable by the crying Minju and wanted to escape the grieving girl. Shrugging, she walked towards the door, giving one last look at Eunyoung’s room, to then leave.

Fortunately for Chaewon, dinner was already ready, so all she had to do was to sit down at the table and wait to be served (Eunyoung’s mother’s words).

It was far more awkward than she expected.

“So, what can you tell me about your life?” Eunyoung’s dad asked her as he grabbed the salt shaker.

“Nothing important,” Chaewon answered, annoyed by their intrusion. She was more polite, though, deciding to be peaceful until after dinner.

“There must be something you are excited about. Your job? Your family.” His voice wavered at the last word.

“Not really,” she said shrugging. “Work is the same shit, as always. And I haven’t spoken to my old man in years.”

“Why?” the mother asked, her face unreadable.

“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “He just went his own way and I went mine, no hard feelings.”

“I forgot to ask, but what is your name then?” the father asked, which froze everyone on the table.

“Uh,” Chaewon looked at each person sitting on the table, awaiting for her answer. They probably hoped that she would suddenly laugh and tell them this was all a joke. It almost made her feel bad. Almost. “Chaewon.”

The mother looked heartbroken at her words. She should feel bad about it, but she couldn’t help it but be exasperated at their denseness. Alright, she knew it was a concept hard to grasp, but it should be obvious by now that she wasn’t their daughter.

“And what do you do for a job, Chaewon?” the father asked, his face now filled with melancholy.

She shrugged. “Nothing important.” She wasn’t stupid. She wanted them to understand she wasn’t Eunyoung, not to know that she was a criminal. “Office job. Pushing papers and shit.”

“Do you have any aspirations? Goals?”

“Not really. Whatever job comes I’ll take it.”

“And what about dreams?”

“Look, this ain’t an interview. I am Kim Chaewon. I am 25 years old, and I am an office worker. That’s all you need to know,” she said bitingly, tired at the incessant inquiries.

“Don’t talk to your parents like that,” a quiet voice said, which made Chaewon turn to look at a shy, but definitely resolute Minju.

“How many times do I have to say this shit? I am not Eunyoung. I ain’t anyone you know. If you understood that, it would be great.” Chaewon stood up, already tired with the strange atmosphere. “It’s a nice dinner and all, but I am dead tired of this bullshit. If you want to help your daughter, find her first, how about that.”

“Wait! Don’t go!” the father said, rushing to catch Chaewon at the exit.

“Look, dude. I am sorry about your daughter, but I ain’t her.” And she slammed the door close.

Eunyoung’s father leaned on the wall, his eyes finally filled with tears he had contained since his first encounter with Eunyoung at the hospital. Minju ran to his side, alongside Miyoung, who hid her face in her hands, sobbing loudly.

“What are we going to do?” Miyoung said between sobs.

“She will come back. I think, deep down, she knows this is her home.” Minju sniffed the tears away, deciding to run after Eunyoung, wishing to give her a piece of her mind.

“Minju!” But Minju was already rushing to the street, hoping to catch up to her fiancee. Finally spotting a very familiar silhouette in the distance, she ran like a madwoman.

“Eunyoung! Bae Eunyoung!” The woman wouldn’t stop, even when it became apparent that she could hear her calling her name. When she was finally close enough to grab onto Eunyoung’s t-shirt, the latter turned around, grabbing onto Minju’s wrist.

“I already told you,” the woman announced slowly, obviously on the verge of losing patience.

“Okay, you aren’t Eunyoung,” Minju conceded, trying to get out of the strong grip. “But would it kill you to be kinder?! They have lost their daughter, their only daughter! You couldn’t even be nice to them when they’ve done nothing but be nice to you?!”

“It’s not my problem!” Chaewon matched Minju’s tone. “And I am right! If they really want to help their daughter, they shouldn’t be trying to play house with me, but searching for their daughter! I am nowhere in this equation, and I don’t welcome nosy-ass people, who do nothing but pry in anyone’s personal business!”

“You look like their daughter!” Minju screamed with all her strength. “Even if it was just for a moment...” she trailed off. Chaewon sighed.

“Look. I’m sure it’s horrible to lose a person important to you, but I am not the answer to their grief. They need to get their shit together and look out for their daughter.”

“If you’re not their daughter, why do you look like her?” Minju asked, shedding any pretense of believing Eunyoung’s words.

“Hell if I know! I just remember dying and then waking up in the morgue in this body. Maybe this body is her daughter’s, but I am not their daughter.”

“Eunyoung, stop! Please!” Minju felt her eyes again filling with tears. “Please, let’s just go to the doctor. Let’s just...”

“No,” she exclaimed with finality, letting Minju’s wrist go. “I am leaving, and I am finding my own body. Perhaps your, whatever she is to you, will return when I find it.” Chaewon turned around and continued walking, ignoring the prying eyes. She felt a pang in her heart at leaving Minju alone in the street, but she couldn’t be fucked in staying still, when there were things she should be doing instead.

She wasn’t that far from the city she had been at before she died, so she could just simply head there and find answers...

But before that, a small pit stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you'd like to talk, hit me up at @Beks7412!


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a long time since she had visited the place, but it still reeked of sweat, blood, and desperation. Most people who entered through the left door often left injured and beaten within an inch of their body, many times with no cash to at least alleviate the hassle of paying for Tylenol. Most people who entered through the right door left either with no cash or rich as fuck (well, rich as fuck in Chaewon’s definition). If she looked for Inseon, she could probably dig around a bit, ask for info on her own gang, the Ravens, and find some pointers to the fucker who did this to her.

She could do that... if she was in her own body.

Now she was in Bae Eunyoung’s body, and knew nobody around here would trust her for shit. They’d probably beat her ass together if they heard her resurrection story, probably thinking she was insulting their intelligence. So there was only one option.

She went through the left door.

Many of the fighters that had entered before her were now looking at her with predatory eyes, which betrayed different thoughts. Others looked like weaklings that could never hold on their own against a fucking fly. She didn’t even dignify a look at any of them. She wouldn’t be seeing them after tonight.

Getting to the mesh door, some of the fighters, whom she recognized, jeered at her.

“Well, well, I think someone is lost,” one of them said, looking her up and down.

She said nothing, outwardly relaxing her posture, but still mentally on her guard. While fighting outside of the ring was discouraged, it wasn’t entirely banned, and these kinds of fights, where one person was ganged upon, were not uncommon in these places.

“And she is deaf, too,” another exclaimed, slowly walking towards her.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were speaking between yourselves,” Chaewon said nonchalantly.

“Oh, you don’t have to be sorry for anything, honey,” the man said in a honeyed voice, which would have creeped Chaewon out the first time she entered this place, but now was just noise to her. “What’s your name?”

“I believe you’ll know when we get to fight,” she said, picking on her nails. The man laughed obnoxiously.

“Well, aren’t you a confident one? I have never seen you around here. New in town?”

“More like an old visitor,” she answered, looking at the man right in the eyes. As soon as their eyes met, the man paled, looking at her as if he had seen a ghost.

“You...” he trailed off, turning to look at his partner. “How do you...”

“That is none of your business,” Chaewon retorted. “Just know that I came here for a little visit.”

“Hey, watch your...” the man’s friend was about to retort, but was held back by the man.

“Stop, dude. You don’t want to cross her.” The friend snorted.

“Why? What is she going to do? Kick my ass?”

“Just play with you for a little while,” Chaewon said, her expression still calm. The friend gaped at her for a moment before lunging at her.

“We’ll see who plays with whom, bitch,” the friend spit out as the man restrained him. Chaewon just smirked at him, knowing that it would anger him far more than any word could.

The door was finally opened by Giseop, a giant teddy bear of a man that kept the peace inside the building.

“Lineup, or I’ll just take you to the exit,” he said pointing at everyone, who complied almost immediately. His eyes came to rest on Chaewon, and stayed there for a moment.

“You, name.”

“Shihyun,” Chaewon answered, not wanting to get this woman’s body into that big amount of trouble, as Minju’s words still resounded in her head. Huh. Maybe she actually had a heart.

“Last name?”

“You don’t need my last name.” The man smiled slightly.

“Maybe so.” He cleared his throat. “Well, then. Shall we start?”

\--

When Minju returned to Eunyoung’s home, her parents were already at the dinning room, although their plates were mostly untouched. The heads snapped as soon as she came into their sight, but their expressions wilted when they saw her come alone, making Minju’s heart ache even more than it already did.

“I’m so sorry,” Minju started, running a hand through her hair. “I wanted to...”

“It’s okay, darling. I know this must be even harder for you,” Miyoung looked at her sympathetically.

“But I couldn’t bring her home,” she countered heartbreakingly, her left hand grabbing onto the wrist Eunyoung had grabbed.

“It’s not your fault,” her father said, embracing her again. It immediately made her cry, sobbing against her father’s chest as today’s events ran through her mind again and again, like a broken record. Her father rubbed her back consolingly, repeating pacifying words that, ultimately, did nothing to alleviate Minju’s fears of losing her fiancee.

Eunyeong’s dad, Shiwon, invited her to stay at their home, hoping that Eunyoung would return later in the evening, and Minju complied, not wanting to be apart from Eunyoung, even if it was only a place filled with memories of her.

When she finally laid on Eunyoung’s bed, cocooned in her blankets, she cried again, now letting herself completely go, hoping that when morning came, things would be alright again.

She didn’t even realize she fell asleep until a sound woke her up. Her eyes cracked open, and she could spot a shadow walking towards Eunyoung’s desk. She heard one of the drawers open, which made her take the blankets away, kicking them to the side, and sit up immediately.

“Eunyoung,” she said with relief, knowing who the shadow resembled.

“Uh, no. Chaewon.” Minju deflated, again confronted by the reality of their situation. However, when she ventured to examine Eunyoung’s face, she gasped at what she found.

“What happened?” she jumped to her feet, moving quickly to grasp Eunyoung’s face.

“Ah, nothing. Just had a little chat with someone.” Chaewon winced when Minju caressed the bruise on her eye, which was considerably swollen.

“Is this what you call a chat?” Minju chastised, making Chaewon’s temper flare again, but she tried restraining herself. She needed to be calm. She needed to be nice so that she could get what she needed.

“Yeah, an unfriendly chat.”

“Take off your clothes.”

“What?” Chaewon laughed disbelievingly. “I didn’t know black eyes were your thing, but...”

“Your clothes. Now,” Minju said authoritatively, grabbing onto Eunyoung’s shirt and pulling the woman close to her.

“Damn. Okay, okay. Geez, woman, no need to be so rough.” Minju’s stomach dropped, when Eunyoung took off her t-shirt. Her fiancee’s whole body was splashed with different shades of purple, blue, and green, which made for an unsightly view.

“Stay here. Don’t you dare run away again,” she ordered Chaewon, who mentally ts’ked at the woman, who rushed out of her room.

“I’m not a stray dog, lady,” she said grumpily, sitting down on the bed. She had wanted to investigate Eunyoung’s room for the documents Inseon had asked for, but, lucky for her, this woman was sleeping here.

“Doesn’t she have a house of her own?” she asked again, knowing that no one was there to hear her voice out her thoughts.

Minju came back in no time with a first aid kit. Sitting on the bed, next to Eunyoung, she opened the kit, quickly getting the antiseptic wipes.

“Now, don’t move.”

“Why would I even move?” she asked, wincing when the wipe made contact with the bruise on her eye.

“Because this whole day you’ve had a tendency of not being able to stay put in one place.”

“Well, I don’t have the luxury to sip Piña Coladas while I relax on the beach, do I?”

“Turn your face.”

“Geez, fine,” Chaewon conceded turning her face to the left side. Minju cleaned a cut in her cheek with another antiseptic wipe, making Chaewon hiss.

“And this? How does this happen in a chat?”

“When the other person has brass knuckles, it sometimes be like that.”

“Oh, my god,” Minju exclaimed, not liking Eunyoung’s words. “Did they try to mug you?” Chaewon snorted.

“No one would try to mug me. I told you, it was just a chat.” Minju sighed.

“Alright, okay. It was just a chat. And then? Did you just come here to get first aid or are you planning on staying?”

“Ah, well, I can’t quite go to my apartment, yet.”

“You have an apartment?” Minju asked, surprised.

“Of course I do. Where do you think I sleep? On the streets?”

“Right,” Minju just said, reminded again of the whole thing. “Right. So you are staying here?”

“For the moment... If those dudes let me stay.” Chaewon coughed into her palm.

“Of course they’ll let you stay. They didn’t even want you to leave, remember?”

“Ah, yeah, but I wasn’t the most diplomatic person around,” Chaewon explained, wincing when Minju cleaned a cut above her eyebrow.

“And yet, here I am, taking care of you.”

“Ah, yeah, thanks,” she said gruffly, not used to expressing gratitude.

“They’ll let you stay. Don’t worry about that,” Minju answered, already having thought about a plan to stop Eunyoung from running away again. “In fact, do you want to sleep now?”

“Now? No, I am way too pumped up to sleep. I just need caffeine, a shit ton of it.”

“Do you want me to make a cup of coffee for you?”

“Yeah.” Another cough. “Please.”

“Alright, coming right up.” Minju stood up, placing the first aid kit on the desk. “Stay put, okay?” Chaewon raised both eyebrows, not amused at her continuous search for reassurance, which Minju took as an affirmation.

It wasn’t probably the best idea, and Eunyoung would probably not talk to her for a full day when she came to her senses, but she couldn’t let Eunyoung run off again, much less to get herself beaten.

Grabbing two of her father-in-law’s sleeping pills, she pulverized them with the handle of a knife.

What was Eunyoung thinking? Why was she in this sudden quest to kill herself? Minju had no idea, but she couldn’t let herself be still while Eunyoung threw her life away.

When the water was already boiling, she poured it over a cup, then throwing the remaining water down the drain. It was until she had prepared the cup that she threw in the final ingredient, stirring it with a small spoon. She hoped Eunyoung wouldn’t know something was amiss.

She entered the room with a more cheerful disposition, fighting against her own unconscious reaction at Eunyoung’s injuries.

“Here you go,” she sing-songed. Chaewon looked at her critically before taking the cup in her hands. She thanked Minju gruffly and took a sip of the hot beverage.

“Ah, this is good,” she expressed in relief. “Nothing like the piss Hwang likes to make.”

Minju said nothing, waiting for Eunyoung to drink it all. When she finally finished, Minju took the cup from her hands gently.

“Since you came back, there is something I wanted to ask you,” she said tentatively, hoping that Eunyoung wouldn’t be as rude as she had been a few hours ago.

“Shoot. I am at your house, so...” Chaewon shrugged.

“Do you remember my mother?”

“How can I remember someone I’ve never met?” Chaewon asked dryly, looking around the room.

“My mother has been ill for a few years now,” Minju soldiered on, hurt by the fact that Eunyoung didn’t remember her mom, someone who Eunyoung usually loved to spend time with. “And she is at the hospital. We don’t know how long will she still stay with us, but she wanted to see you.” Minju braced for the abrasive answer, but when none came, she turned to look at Eunyoung, who was now looking at the desk intently, as if in thought. She then, snapping out of her reverie, sighed.

“When do you want me to see her?”

“Tomorrow, if it’s not too much to ask.” Minju smiled.

“I mean. I guess not,” Chaewon scratched her neck. “In the early morning or...?”

“Probably 9 am,” Minju answered, grabbing Eunyoung’s hand with her free hand. “Thank you.”

Eunyoung just hummed, shaking her head. “Ugh.”

“Is something wrong?” Minju asked, not knowing if it was the pills having an effect on Eunyoung.

“Nah, just some pain in my ribs,” Chaewon dismissed, knowing at this point that this woman was a worrywart. Her eyes widened regardless.

“Is it broken? Should I take you to the hospital?” Minju asked too quickly, to the point where Chaewon didn’t understand at all.

“No, no. I am fine. Stop worrying,” Chaewon said, trying to placate Minju, who became more agitated at her words.

“How can I not worry when you get to this room, which is in the second floor, through a window, beaten and injured?”

“But I’m fine! If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have been able to climb up here.”

“I don’t like it,” Minju said, crossing her arms. “You need rest.”

“It’ll heal later.” Minju huffed again, turning her head away from Chaewon.

“And when did you get that butterfly tattoo, even?”

“What tattoo?”

“The one below your breast?”

“You looked at my breasts?” Minju’s face reddened, amusing Chaewon.

“How can I not? You are bruised all over!”

“It’s okay to look.” Chaewon laughed lightly at Minju’s reaction. The latter just hit her shoulder, making her hiss.

“I’m sorry,” Minju said, realizing she was hurting Eunyoung. “But you are never this explicit!” Chaewon just raised an eyebrow, already tired of emphasizing her real identity, and just let Minju be, even if that irritated her for some reason.

“Well, whatever. I don’t know about that tattoo.” Chaewon yawned, feeling a sudden wave of drowsiness. “Well, shit.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Minju asked again, worry again etched on her face.

“Nothing. I just... suddenly feel very sleepy.”

“Let’s get you to bed, then,” Minju said, putting the cup on the desk and grabbing both Chaewon’s arms. She guided her to the bed, then helped her lay on the bed gently.

“Thanks,” Chaewon said, unsure of why she was letting Minju move her like a rag doll. But she guessed it didn’t matter now. She was way too tired and there was a nice comfy bed to sleep in.

She wasn’t even sure if Minju slept beside her, as she blacked out almost immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hit me up at @Beks7412 if you want to interact with my awkward self ^^


	4. Chapter 4

Chaewon woke up feeling as if she had been hit by a speeding truck. Her whole body ached and she felt as if she hadn’t had enough sleep.

“Ugh. What the fuck?”

“You are finally awake!” Minju exclaimed as she closed the door behind her.

“What time is it?” Chaewon asked, blinking her eyes repeatedly to eliminate the blurriness.

“It’s 3 o’clock,” Minju answered, drying her hair with a towel. “I thought you weren’t going to wake up until tomorrow.”

“I feel like I got my ass beaten.”

“You kind of did,” Minju said disapprovingly, hiding the guilt she felt. Maybe she should have just given Eunyoung one pill.

“But those cunts got what they deserved,” she said, groaning as she sat up.

“Do you have to use such language?” Minju asked, frowning.

“This is the way I speak. Take it or leave it.”

“You can’t speak that way in front of my mom.”

“Ah, that’s right. We were going to see your mom, right?”

“We are, but after you take a shower,” Minju said assertively. “And I mean it. You can’t use that language in front of my mom.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Chaewon answered dismissively, finding a demanding Minju cute. “Ah, but what clothes am I going to wear?”

“We are in your room.”

“Alright. And where do I take a shower?”

“Well, follow me.”

After taking her shower, Chaewon asked Minju for privacy to change into her clothes, promising up and down that she wouldn’t leave without telling her.

Now, in the privacy of Eunyoung’s room, she started opening the drawers in her desk, looking for a very specific thing.

( _“Wow, to what do I owe the honor of having Kim Chaewon in my humble establishment, and with a new face?”_

_“I’m looking to pay some debts,” she answered calmly._

_“Who even dared to cross the infamous Kim Chaewon?” Inseon asked, smirking obnoxiously as he sat on his leather chair._

_“Do you have any dirt on the Ravens?”_

_“Uh, uh. You want some info, and I want some gossip. That’s how it works and you know it, Chaewon... or should I call you Shihyun?”_

_“Someone tried to kill me. I don’t know who, but I’m sure they are from the Ravens.”_

_“Ho ho, then does this mean a blood bath?” he moved forward, leaning his elbows on the cheap table. What was the point of a leather chair if the table was going to be of shit quality, Chaewon could never understand._

_“This means paying my dues, by whatever means necessary.”_

_“Well, aren’t you an exciting fellow? I do have some gossip on the Ravens, but it’ll cost you.”_

_“The price?” Chaewon asked, crossing her arms._

_“It’s nothing, really. There is just this small newspaper that has become a nuisance for my business. I need to locate a reporter, and, make her lose her write-up.”_

_“You want me to kill her,” Chaewon stated._

_“Oh, no. Not at all. That would attract even more attention to us. I just want you to find where she gets her info, and eliminate that source.”_

_“And what is this reporter’s name?”_

_“Eunjin? Eunha? Ah! Eunyoung. Bae Eunyoung.”_ )

Chaewon clicked her tongue. There were no important papers in any drawer, just shitty drafts and a love letter. Eugh.

Maybe Eunyoung had her drafts in her workplace. She would have to ask later.

After trying to leave everything as it had been before she searched, she put on the clothes Minju had chosen for her. Looking at herself in the mirror, she grimaced. Jesus, does this girl have a terrible fashion sense. Well, at the very least it’s Eunyoung and not her who is wearing this shit.

Opening the door to Eunyoung’s room she found Minju waiting for her to be ready, fiddling with her phone.

( _“How does she look like?”_

_“I don’t know. She is not that public of a person, and I haven’t really done any research.”_

_“And you expect me to find her without any other clue.”_

_“You’re smart. You’ll manage.”_ )

“Let’s go,” Chaewon said, shaking those thoughts out of her head, at least, for a moment.

“Remember what I asked,” Minju warned as she drove to the hospital. “Don’t tell her...”

“That I’m not Eunyoung, don’t cuss, and don’t talk about her illness at all. Got it,” Chaewon finished, bored out of her mind already. Why had she accepted to do this?

“I mean it.”

“I heard you,” Chaewon said, irritated at the insistence. “I’m not deaf. I heard you.” Minju’s lips set in a thin line, but said nothing.

The trip was filled with a tense silence, probably a product of Chaewon’s outburst, but the latter didn’t care. She just knew she was doing Minju a favor, she would look for Eunyoung’s workplace to find some info on the mole, and she would leave for her own apartment. After that, she wasn’t sure…

The doctors seemed to know Eunyoung and Minju well, as evidenced by the friendly greetings they received by doctors and nurses alike. Did they come often?

“Remember,” Minju whispered before opening the door to her mom’s hospital room. Chaewon wanted to retort, but Minju entered the room quickly, leaving no room for argument. Chaewon grumbled under her breath, and entered as well.

“Oh, Eunyoung!” a woman sitting in a bed exclaimed, opening her arms. Chaewon, not knowing what do, just stood next to Minju.

“Ahaha, yeah.” Minju hit her with her elbow. Chaewon turned to look at the woman, who gestured subtly at her mother. What did she want Chaewon to do?

Awkwardly walking towards Minju’s mom, she was met with a strong hug.

Oof, okay, isn’t this woman ill?

Chaewon patted the woman’s back slightly, hoping the embrace would end soon. On the other hand, Minju was cringing, ready to admit that bringing Eunyoung like this was a terrible idea.

“I’m so glad you are well. I was afraid you would leave my Minju alone.” The embrace felt never-ending for Chaewon, but she tried relaxing, knowing that she probably was very stiff. It was a gigantic task, as her muscles barely seemed willing to obey her. In any other setting, she would already have wrestled the hugging person to the ground, so this was...

“Don’t worry. I won’t leave Minju alone,” she said as naturally as she could, feeling herself internally cringe at her own words.

The embrace finally ended, to Chaewon’s relief, but the woman still grabbed her hands, smiling up at her. Chaewon tried smiling, and she hoped it wasn’t a grimace. The woman gasped.

“What happened to you? Is this from the accident?”

“Uh, yeah. I haven’t completely healed yet, so this is still on my face.” Huh. Now that she thought of it, she had been told by Eunyoung’s mother that she had had a car accident while on the road. If that was the case, where were the injuries? If Eunyoung died, her whole ass body should’ve suffered something. And yet, she woke up, completely healthy...

“Oh, no. I hope they fade in time for the wedding.”

“Haha, yeah... Wait...” Chaewon turned to look at Minju, a ‘what the fuck is she talking about?’ etched on her face. Minju just looked at her pleadingly, as if asking her not to say anything. “I hope so, too.”

“Are you okay with continuing the wedding? Aren’t you hurt?”

“I am not as hurt as I seem.” Chaewon laughed awkwardly. “How have you been?” Minju’s mother smiled.

“I’ve been better.”

Chaewon didn’t know what to say, but, gratefully, Minju saved her from having to speak.

“I knew you were worried about her when you heard about the accident, so I brought her to meet you,” Minju explained, although her explanation felt redundant.

“Yes. I am happy that you are doing well,” Minju’s mom said, smiling again. “Now, have you made plans after the wedding? Are you planning on giving me grandchildren soon?” Chaewon almost choked.

“Mom, I already told you,” Minju exclaimed exasperatedly, although her expression was that of fondness.

“Yes, yes, you want to wait until you are stable, but I don’t know how much time I have left.” Her mom put a hand on her forehead dramatically, making Minju smile, albeit sadly.

“Hopefully you’ll be here for a few more years.” Minju’s mother smiled.

“Well, enough of that talk. Did you bring the chess board?”

“It’s right here,” Minju said, taking a small chessboard out of her purse.

“Great! Care to play a game, Eunyoung?”

“Me?” Chaewon asked, surprised. She had never played chess. Did that nerdy Eunyoung know how to play chess?

She did. That fucking nerd knew how to play chess. Minju’s mom was floored at the number of times she managed to win against Chaewon, commenting on her rookie mistakes. Chaewon could only laugh awkwardly, not knowing how to explain how chess champion Eunyoung playing was so shit. Either way, it wasn’t that bad. She got the hang of it after a few games and managed to make the next games last more than 3 minutes.

“You have lost your touch, Eunyoung-ie,” Minju’s mom commented as Chaewon put the pieces back inside the box.

“I guess so,” Chaewon said, shrugging her shoulders.

“And look, Minnie has fallen asleep.” Chaewon turned around to look and, fair enough, Minju was sprawled on the sofa, her head lolling to the left side.

“Yeah, probably got bored of seeing me get my... get beaten by her mom.”

“I think she is just stressed,” her mother pointed out, ignoring Chaewon’s attempt at a joke. Chaewon was at a loss on what to answer.

“And I know you’ve been stressed, too. I just hope that you both can be a safe home to each other, that you can be there for her and that she can be there for you, too.”

“I’m sure that will be the case.” When Chaewon returns to her body and the real Eunyoung comes back.

“I really am putting my girl in your hands.” Minju’s mom grabbed both of her hands, squeezing them slightly. “I know you just had an accident, and I know that it must be hard for you, so I want to make sure that you both will be there for each other. After all, that’s what couples do.”

Chaewon nodded, not knowing what to say. But it seemed as if Minju’s mom was waiting for something. She was searching for something in her face, making Chaewon squirm uncharacteristically.

“Are you...? Were you two fighting before you came here?”

“No, not at all,” Chaewon said, but Minju’s mom didn’t seem convinced.

“There’s something about your eyes.” Chaewon froze. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No, of course not.” Chaewon wasn’t even sure why she was denying these questions adamantly. All she had to do was just... leave. But there was something about Minju’s mom, an aura that was commanding, even though her voice and expressions were soft. Chaewon was sure that when this woman was healthy, she was a fighter. It reminded her of her own mother.

“Tell me the truth,” Minju’s mom demanded softly, but assertively at the same time.

“Ah, well, it has been a strange week.”

“How so?” Minju’s mom asked. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Minnie if you don’t want me to.” Chaewon turned to look at Minju, and hoped she wasn’t hearing in case she fucked up.

“Ah, no, well... Strange things have happened this week, aside from my... accident. I guess I just feel like... I feel fine, ah, but I just feel like I can’t marry Minju like this.”

“How so?”

“Well, ah, uh, I just feel like I don’t match Minju. She is... I am not a very good person...”

“I know sometimes love can be seeing each other in a different light, but it should never be about putting someone in a pedestal. You have your own faults, but Minju has faults, too, and I think you know that better than everyone else. Marriage is a difficult step in any relationship because it’s a compromise that is meant to last, through thick and thin, and everything else. Your faults, Minju’s faults, you both can work on them, together. Don’t look down on yourself.”

“Ah, yeah,” Chaewon cocked her head slightly to the side.

“Don’t let Minju go. Take care of her, and she’ll take care of you.” Minju’s mom squeezed her hands tightly, which made Chaewon turn to look at her face. Her eyes were determined, and her expression...

“Yes, thank you,” Chaewon said, her voice, the softest she had heard it be in years. Well, it probably helped that it was Eunyoung’s voice.

That’s right.

Minju’s mom thought she was Eunyoung.

Chaewon tried breaking free from Minju’s mom’s grip, but the woman held tight.

“Promise me,” the woman said. “Promise me you’ll stay together, no matter what.” Chaewon took a deep breath.

“I promise.”

\--

“Why are you so quiet?” Minju asked as she turned the car on, the rumbling of the car making for a nice background noise for Chaewon.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

“Did mom tell you something bad?”

“No, no.”

“Please, tell me.”

“Ah, it’s... It’s nothing.”

“Please, I want to know what you are thinking.”

“Ah.” Oh, fuck it. “I don’t know. I guess... I don’t know. Your mom kind of... ah, reminded me of my own mother.”

“How did...?” Minju stopped. ‘Is she talking as this Chaewon character?’

“How did she remind you of her?” Minju asked, forcing herself to indulge Eunyoung in her own fantasies, hoping that, at the very least, Eunyoung could remember something about her life, instead of this made up story.

“I don’t know... she just... she was a fighter,” Chaewon finished more confidently. It was far easier to tell a story than to talk feelings. “My mother was always a very harsh woman. When she fell ill, I don’t think I ever saw her weaken, even when her body did.”

“Can you tell me more about your mom?” Chaewon was surprised by the request, but decided to oblige, still affected by the previous encounter.

“Ah, well. I didn’t quite grow up swimming in money, I guess. We lived in the poorest neighborhood, and well, both my parents worked to support us. My mother was always a very strong woman.” Chaewon smiled slightly. “I remember that the first time I got into a fight she made me clean the tteokbokki cart for a week.”

“That sounds hard,” Minju interjected.

“It’s not. It’s really not,” Chaewon said, still immersed in memories. “I couldn’t be stopped, though, so she gave up on punishing me after the fifth time. Instead, she told me, ‘You want to fight? Alright, but you better know that you won’t be able to take another path in life.’”

“And she let you do it? Just like that?”

“Of course not. She expected me to become a boxer, or a taekwondo fighter, or some shit.” Chaewon shrugged. “She disliked seeing me fight, but she didn’t stop me, often just telling to get a job or go to the free boxing lessons down the street.”

“You never went?”

“Nah. I liked fighting. I liked the thrill of no rules. Everything goes in street fights.” Minju bit her lip. Eunyoung’s story was incredibly detailed, and none of the things that she said coincided with Eunyoung’s life story at all. When she had called the doctor that morning, the doctor had assured her that false memories were often interwoven with real memories. False memories were more like real memories being distorted. But this, this had nothing to do with Eunyoung.

Could she be telling the truth? Could she really not be Eunyoung?

No, that’s ridiculous.

“So, you and Eunyoung are getting married.” Minju froze, even though she knew this topic would come sooner rather than later.

“Yes, we are,” Minju said hesitantly.

“And soon?”

“Yes. We’re getting married on January 16.”

Chaewon whistled. “That’s a month from now.”

“It is,” Minju agreed, now in a conflict, not knowing what to say, especially when she heard her mom and Eunyoung’s exchange. Was Eunyoung in that much doubt? Or was she speaking as this Chaewon person? It was starting to make her feel dizzy.

“Well, now I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?” Minju asked warily.

“Could you take me to this place Uh, it’s Handong Street...”

“Handong Street? What do you want to do there?” Handong was part of one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. It was the subject of legends high school kids told each other and that, inevitably, became something they believed when they grew into adulthood.

“Nothing important, just to look for something.”

“I can’t let you go there.” Chaewon frowned.

“Look, I did this favor for you. I visited your mother. I spent time with her. Now I want my favor to be repaid.”

“Is that all my mom is?” Minju asked, hurt. “A favor?” Chaewon looked ate her, surprised at her outburst.

“No.”

“That’s what you said.”

“I know what I said,” Chaewon said, frustrated. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“You know what? If you want to go, go there yourself.”

“What?”

“Get out of the car,” Minju ordered. Chaewon was about to argue, but froze at the sight of the angry tears on Minju’s eyes.

“Fine.” Chaewon opened the door and got out of the car. As soon as the door closed, the car sped into the distance. Chaewon kicked the ground angrily.

And she was just trying to be nice.

But she wasn’t nice, was she? She had to grudgingly admit that her words had made it sound like she thought Minju’s mom was a charity case.

It made her feel angry with herself, too. She had sounded like those snobbish dudes that treated everyone in her neighborhood like pity cases.

“Ah, fuck. Why did I even say that?” But she couldn’t stall. She had a job to do, and a revenge to plan. She walked a few steps, but suddenly stopped. There was something inside of her that told her that she couldn’t go on, that she needed to see if Minju was okay.

Why did she even care about fucking Kim Minju?

(“Promise me. Promise me you’ll stay together no matter what.”)

“Ah, shit.”

\--

Minju spent over two hours watching movies with her dad while eating ice cream. When he had asked if something was wrong, she hadn’t answered, just asking for some ice cream and a nice rom-com.

She was grateful that her dad hadn’t tried to delve and had agreed to spend time with her.

Forty minutes into the Notebook, the bell rang, waking her father, who had already fallen asleep at the previous movie.

“I’ll get that,” he said, ruffling her hair when she whined.

It took a few minutes, but he finally came into the room, turning the light on.

“Dad, why are you...?” the words died in her throat at the sight of one Bae Eunyoung standing behind her father.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” his dad said, leaving for another room. Minju was sure he would still try to listen in.

Minju didn’t say anything, wanting Eunyoung to make the first move. Eunyoung looked unsure, as if she had no idea what she was doing.

“Uh, here. I brought this... for you,” she said, extending a lone rose she had been hiding behind her back. Minju’s anger melted at the gesture, but she didn’t let on. She took the flower, but said nothing, wanting to hear her apology.

“I, ah, uh... I am sorry for, ah, shit... for being a shit person... I didn’t mean what I said... Your mom is very nice and, ah, well, I don’t know... I... She is not a favor or a charity case or anything...” Minju’s lip twitched.

“I guess that, ah, I brought this rose because, ah, this is so stupid... Someone told me you give this if you want forgiveness.”

“It’s not stupid,” Minju answered, letting a small smile set on her face. “It’s sweet. Apology accepted.” Minju laughed when Chaewon sighed in relief.

“How did you find my house?” Minju asked, walking closer to Eunyoung.

“I asked Eunyoung’s parents about it,” Chaewon answered. Minju, although still dizzy and confused about her fiancee’s amnesia, managed to smile at Eunyoung’s answer.

“Thank you for trying,” she said, hugging Eunyoung, who froze immediately at the touch.

Chaewon wasn’t sure on what to do, as she wasn’t used to physical affection. However, for some reason, she found it easier to relax in Minju’s hold than in Minju’s mother’s. ‘Still, some habits can’t be broken’, she thought as she patted Minju’s back awkwardly.

“It’s nothing... I had to make sure you and I were good.” Her words warmed Minju’s heart. It meant that she cared. Eunyoung cared, and that gave her hope.

“You want to stay here for the night?” Minju asked, not letting her grip on Eunyoung go.

“Ah, no, it’s okay. I have some stuff to do.” Minju frowned.

“Such as?”

“I have to go to Handong Street?” Chaewon voiced it as a question when she saw Minju’s expression morph into anger.

“Why do you want to go there? Do you have a death wish?” Minju said as she let Chaewon go, making the latter feel uncharacteristically empty.

“I told you, there’s something I have to look for.”

“Then I’ll go with you.”

“Hell no.”

“Why not?” Minju asked, the warmth in her heart already gone, replaced by agitation. “You wanted me to take you there before, so why not?”

“There was daylight,” Chaewon said, matter-of-factly. “And you were supposed to just drop me off.”

“And you want to go there? Alone? At night?”

“I know how to take care of myself.”

“Just yesterday you came into my room battered. Am I supposed to feel comforted by that?”

“No, I, just,” Chaewon pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay, I might come again with my ass handed to me or maybe not. But nothing more than that.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“Agh, why are you like this?” Chaewon asked in exasperation.

“Because I worry, you idiot!” Minju screamed, having already forgotten about her dad being in the adjacent room. Her words gave Chaewon pause, making the latter look at her as if she had grown two heads. “You think it doesn’t hurt me to see you hurting like this?”

Chaewon looked as if she was processing Minju’s words. It took a while for her to speak.

“I... I am... I guess I’m not used to people worrying about me.”

“Well, I do, so stop being reckless and stay here.”

“I need to go there.” Minju groaned.

“Why are you so stubborn? Fine, but I’ll go with you.” Minju interrupted Chaewon before she could protest. “Try going alone and I won’t forgive you.”

“Alright, okay, jeez,” Chaewon said, raising her hands. “But you’ll do as I say. No buts or ifs.” Minju wanted to retort, but decided not to. She didn’t want to have this discussion go on and on.

“Okay.”

“Okay, then. Grab a coat and let’s go,” Chaewon said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Chaewon actually get revenge?
> 
> Hit me up at @Beks7412
> 
> Stream Vampire!


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay, we are about to arrive at Handong,” Chaewon said, looking through her window. “As soon as you stop the car, hide. Hide in the darkest corner and wait for me to come. Don’t listen to any sound, don’t look through the window.”

“You’re making it sound like we’re in Bird Box,” Minju commented, although Eunyoung’s words did instill some fear in her.

“I’m serious,” Chaewon said, ignoring Minju’s jab. “I’m going to tap on your window seven times, continuously. When I do that unlock the car and I’ll get to the passenger seat.” Minju turned to look at Eunyoung for a second. She felt something foreign fill her chest, probably close to dread or maybe anticipation.

“If it’s that dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to go there in the morning?”

“I need to get there as soon as possible,” Chaewon answered. “Okay, take a left turn and park under that tree.”

“But there’s no road there.”

“Better yet.” Minju did as told, parking under the tree. There was no light there, which made for an even darker atmosphere.

“I’m going,” Chaewon said, leaving Minju with no opportunity to at least wish her luck. She locked the car and did as Eunyoung told, having felt the seriousness with which her fiancee had spoken to her.

Chaewon, on the other hand, had known about this neighborhood for a while, even if she hadn’t had the pleasure to visit it before. Without any light guiding her, she just depended on her instinct to feel if there was any danger, though, to be honest, she wasn’t all that worried about things.

Yeah, Handong wasn’t a particularly nice street, but it wasn’t anything like the neighborhoods she usually worked in back in her own body. At most, there would be a mugger or a pervert lurking around, but not much more than that. She just hoped Minju followed her instructions.

Finally finding the decrepit house she was looking for, she entered it slowly, alert to anything out of place. Looking for a lighting switch, she felt a presence creeping in the place. She didn’t turn her head, pretending she was oblivious to the person who was watching her carefully. The person tried sneaking up on her, but when they were finally close enough, Chaewon turned around and kicked them in the stomach in quick succession. The person (man?) wheezed, but tried swinging at her. Chaewon, recognizing the pattern, avoided the punch and just slapped him upside the head.

“N-noona?” the man asked, his breath still ragged thanks to the kick.

“Turn on this damn light,” Chaewon ordered, making the man scramble to find the switch light. When the room was bright, the man gasped when she saw her.

“You are not Chaewon noona.”

“Don’t be a fucking idiot, Taegi,” Chaewon answered. “Or you don’t know what a disguise is?”

“It really is you,” he said, sounding more excited than a few moments before. “What are you doing here?”

“I am actually here looking for you. How’s that?” Chaewon smiled sardonically.

“And, and with a disguise? What happened, noona?”

“Let’s just say that I am on a special mission, a mission I’d like you to cooperate with.”

“Anything for you, noona,” he said easily, making Chaewon smile more genuinely.

“Alright. I don’t have much info on it for now, but there’s someone we have to shut up.”

“And why don’t you get help from the Ravens?” Chaewon’s face darkened.

“They won’t do. They can’t know what I’m doing, and you can’t tell anyone.” Taegi’s eyes widened.

“You’re going against them?”

“More like I’m on a personal mission,” Chaewon sighed. “For now, there’s not much to do, but I wanted to give you a heads up. Be careful.” Taegi nodded solemnly.

“I know how to take care of myself.” Chaewon smiled, understanding the irony of his words.

“I know you do. I’ll come by when there are news.” Taegi nodded again. “Okay, then. Be seeing you.” Chaewon turned the lights off and walked towards the door.

“Ah, and, I’ll probably treat you to a meal soon... maybe.”

She still had one more thing to do. Looking to the adjacent houses, she found one with a backyard surrounded by a lattice wall. Climbing over the wall, she tried looking for the water faucet. Once she found it, she opened it, letting the ground beneath get wet. After a minute or two, she started digging with her bare hands.

It took her a while, as every now and then she had to open the faucet again, but she finally found the little box she was looking for.

“Oh, thank fuck,” she whispered as she cleared the box from dirt.

Returning to the car, she knocked on the window as she told Minju she would. It took a few seconds until the doors were unlocked and Chaewon entered the car.

“It’s me,” Chaewon said as she fastened her seat belt. Minju let out a sigh of relief and sat on the driver seat again.

“See? Nothing happened, as I said it wouldn’t.” Minju huffed as she turned to car engine on, but didn’t try to give a come back.

“What is that in your hands?” she asked instead.

“This? Nothing important,” Chaewon answered, hiding the small box inside the sweater. Minju grimaced, but didn’t insist, something that Chaewon was happy about. She didn’t want Minju in any of this shady business... because she didn’t want a nosy ass person like Minju meddling, of course.

When they arrived to Minju’s house, Chaewon got out of the car, waiting for Minju to reach her.

“Thanks... for taking me and all. I don’t know if I can still sleep here, but...” Minju smiled slightly.

“Follow me.”

Minju’s dad was already in his own room, or so Chaewon thought, so the quiet this house had was one that didn’t resemble her own apartment. Different from Eunyoung’s house, this one was a one-story house. It didn’t mean it wasn’t spacious on its own, though.

“Are we supposed to sleep here?” Chaewon asked when she saw the single bed smack in the middle of Minju’s room.

“Is it not okay?” Minju asked, biting her lip. She hadn’t considered now that Eunyoung claimed to be another person, she wouldn’t feel comfortable with Minju. The thought made her heart ache.

“I mean... If that’s okay with you...” Chaewon said, shrugging her shoulders.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Minju smiled. “Come on, I’ll lend you some PJs.”

Minju opened one of the drawers and got two pairs of pajamas out. Chaewon cringed when she saw the designs.

“Do you sleep with that?” Chaewon asked, judging the pajamas quietly.

“Why? What’s wrong with these?”

“I mean, they are too... childish?” Minju gasped.

“Childish? They are cute!”

“What’s cute about damn frogs?”

“Frogs can be cute, too!” Minju said, playfully affronted by Chaewon’s words.

“I guess.” Chaewon shrugged.

“And... here’s your toothbrush.”

“Yeah, thanks.” How many times has she said thanks in this whole day? Probably more than in the last 8 years.

“The bathroom is across the room with the white door.”

“Got it.” Chaewon said, leaving for the bathroom. The bathroom wasn’t as small as she expected, which was more than Chaewon could say for her own apartment.

“Ugh, why do I have to wear this shit? At least I’m in Eunyoung’s body.” Despite her own personal protests, Chaewon changed into the frog pajamas, finding them surprisingly more comfortable than she expected. She would take that thought to her grave, though.

After washing her teeth, she went again to Minju’s room. However, when she opened the door, she found Minju changing. The latter turned around, making Chaewon utter a ‘sorry’ to then slam the door closed.

It wasn’t the first time she saw a woman half-naked, so her flustered reaction confused her.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” she whispered as she touched her cheeks, aware of the heat that had rushed to her face. “Was this Eunyoung a prude? Am I becoming like her?” Chaewon looked at her hands. “Hell no!”

The door, opened, making Chaewon straighten her back. God, was she really pathetic.

“Uhm, you didn’t have to stay outside.”

“I wanted to give you privacy.” Chaewon blushed when Minju raised an eyebrow, as if questioning her real motives.

“I’ve become used to you being mean so this is...”

“Shut up. Next time I’ll just enter and watch you change.”

“If you want to.” Minju shrugged nonchalantly. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

The imagery made Chaewon blush even more. Really, what the fuck is wrong with me?!

“I’m going to brush my teeth,” Minju said, walking to the bathroom. Chaewon stood there for a few moments, before she gave herself a small slap.

Get your shit together, Kim Chaewon, she thought as she entered Minju’s bedroom. Deciding on sitting on a desk chair, she waited until Minju came back, a few moments later.

“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s sleep.” Suffice to say, it was awkward as hell for Chaewon, who rarely slept with someone on the same bed, much less someone that (she grudgingly had to admit) she found this attractive.

“Are you okay?” Minju asked, turning around to face Chaewon, who tried turning her face away from Minju.

“Yeah.”

“Do you feel uncomfortable?” she asked, worried.

“A little, yeah.” It seemed as if Minju didn’t expect her answer, even when she was the one who asked, as she bit her lip anxiously.

“Is it because of me?”

“Not really. Just... I usually sleep alone.”

“Ah.” But Minju didn’t seem to understand Chaewon’s answer. It was as if she was trying to decipher a puzzle that could only be solved while looking at Eunyoung’s face. Chaewon squirmed, closing her eyes.

Damn, she and her mom have the same type of weird stare that looks into your soul.

Minju snapped out of it. “Do you want me to go sleep on the couch?”

“No, no, no,” Chaewon denied fervently. “No, just... I’ll get used to it, somehow.”

Chaewon ended up having no sleep.

\--

It was 6 am when Minju woke up. Still quite sleepy, she went through her morning routine, getting ready for her job, as her boss had only given her a few days off to take care of the Eunyoung situation.

It wasn’t until she was sipping her coffee on the kitchen counter that she remembered that Eunyoung slept there... and hadn’t been there when she had woken up.

“Dad?” The man was sipping his own cup of coffee on the couch while watching the morning news.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you know where Eunyoung is?”

“She left quite early, said she had things to do.”

“Things? She didn’t say what?”

“No. You know how she’s been these days. I’d rather not ask too many questions.” Minju sighed, understanding.

“And she doesn’t even have a phone,” she murmured, giving her coffee another gulp. “Thanks, dad.”

There were many things that had to be taken care of before the wedding. Eunyoung’s car had been totaled, she had lost all of her official documents, and her phone had been destroyed. When Eunyoung had been rescued there was nothing else that could be saved.

Minju’s stomach tightened at the memories. How was she going to help Eunyoung? How was Eunyoung going to remember before they got married? Would this new Eunyoung even accept marriage?

“I’m leaving, dad.” Perhaps that’s what she needed, some time to herself to think things thoroughly and to wind down for a moment. It didn’t meant that she didn’t worry about Eunyoung’s absence, though.

“Good luck, sweetheart.”

It had been just a few months ago when she had finished her nursing degree, but thankfully she had managed to secure a job at a prestigious hospital, which meant insane shifts, but it was all worth it.

Even then, despite the hectic environment, Minju had managed to make friends, with whom she often spoke to, like the doctor who was rushing hurriedly as Minju walked to her station.

“Good morning!” Yena said as she ran past Minju. “Can’t talk, have an appendectomy!”

“Good luck!” Minju managed to tell Yena before the woman disappeared.

“Good morning, Minju,” Eunbi, the resident cardiologist, said as she arrived at her station.

“Good morning, unnie,” Minju greeted in kind, sitting for a moment on her desk chair, wanting to sort out the new array of papers on her desk.

“How have you been? Is Eunyoung okay?” Eunbi had been able to meet Eunyoung the few times her fiancee had come to visit, usually coming to get a scoop of a story in progress.

“She’s... as well as she can be right now,” Minju answered, smiling bitterly, feeling the worry return with a force. Eunbi arched an eyebrow at the sight of Minju’s expression.

“You know you can tell me anything. I’m here for you.” Minju sighed, weighing the pros and cons of telling someone else of Eunyoung’s condition.

“It’s Eunyoung. Since she woke up, she hasn’t been the same.”

“How? Is she having flashbacks?”

“No. Since she woke up, she has denied being Eunyoung, always says she is someone else.”

“Have you tried questioning her?” Eunbi asked, already in doctor mode, supporting her back on the wall.

“I have. Her backstory is pretty detailed.”

“Hmm, has she had any tests done?”

“She didn’t want to. As soon as she woke up, she demanded to be discharged.”

“You should try to convince her. This might be something more serious,” Eunbi advised, giving a more sympathetic look at Minju. “It might sound bad of me, but maybe this is your chance to see if you both can really make it.” Minju sighed, putting some of the papers inside one of the desk’s drawers.

“We are getting married in a month, unnie.”

“Then it’s even more urgent,” Eunbi said, walking towards the door. “As much as I find Eunyoung to be charming, I want you to be happy with whatever choice you make.”

“I know,” Minju murmured despite Eunbi having already left the room. Soon enough she was paged. A sixty year old man had fallen from the stairs and had signs of a clot in his brain. Rushing to her new priority, she pushed Eunbi’s words aside, wishing she hadn’t told her unnie at all.

She didn’t want more doubt filling her heart.

\--

Chaewon was now walking towards the address written in Eunyoung’s job ID. It had been a piece of cake to get information on Eunyoung’s job from her parents (after an awkward apology of sorts), who had no worries about letting her inspect her room, probably hoping she was starting to remember.

The supposed workplace seemed to be in a more humble neighborhood, as opposed to the bigger and more vibrant parts of this city. The woman worked at a small newspaper, and she realized that as she entered an inconspicuous building with nothing but a small sign taped on the door, putting a name to the place she was entering.

As soon as she entered, she was met with everyone’s excited exclamations. Chaewon was annoyed at the noise, but said nothing. She needed to be stealthy.

“Yes, yes, haha. Here I am,” she said awkwardly, trying to weasel out of welcomes. Still, people were still ganging on her, and she was dangerously getting close to just pushing people away from her.

“Alright. Alright. Please make yourself scarce,” a male voice said, tapping the shoulders of the people in front of her. The people, listening to the man, gave a few steps and left for their desks, but not before wishing Chaewon well.

“Agh. I told them they shouldn’t crowd you too much, but I’m sure you understand. You kinda came back after a death or life situation,” the man said, smiling.

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m pretty sure I sent a message to your phone so you wouldn’t come back to work.”

“Uh, my phone was broken,” Chaewon awkwardly explained.

“Ah, should’ve known,” the man said, snapping his fingers. “But yeah, I’d rather you take some days off.”

“Sure,” Chaewon agreed readily, thinking it was one more thing off her back. “I just need to check some notes.”

“Just some notes? And then you’ll go home?” he asked, smiling complacently when Chaewon nodded. “Then go. Don’t take too long, though.”

Chaewon walked away from the man (Eunyoung’s boss?), trying to look for her desk. It should be an empty desk, right? She found the empty desk at the corner at the back of the building, sitting down on the chair.

“Okay, let’s turn on this computer,” Chaewon murmured as she pushed the computer’s button. Waiting for the computer to do its thing, she inspected the cubicle. It was quite small, but it had some things decorating it, like a rubber duck next to the screen and small “hang in there” poster. Did Eunyoung have a shitty sense of humor?

“Eunyoung? Why are you on Seongon’s computer?” a woman asked, puzzled.

Chaewon froze, not knowing how to answer. “Ah, uh. My head is still a little... bad,” she cringed at her explanation. “Do you know where my cubicle is?”

The woman looked surprised for a moment, but then smiled. “Of course. Follow me.”

“Are you okay?” the woman asked as they both walked through the building.

“Ah, I guess not. There are some things I don’t remember.”

“Is your fiancee one of those things?” Chaewon arched a brow at the flirty tone the woman used.

“What if it is?” the woman’s smile widened.

“Then maybe we could arrange something.”

“Maybe we can.” Chaewon had no interest for the woman, but she hoped the woman would have some insight about the investigation Eunyoung was doing.

“Well, here is your office. Text me later?”

“I lost my phone. Can you give me your number?” The woman, took a pen from her shirt pocket and wrote her phone number on Chaewon’s arm.

“So you don’t forget.” She winked.

“I don’t think I could,” Chaewon flirted in kind, caressing the woman’s hand slightly before walking towards the office. “See you.”

Finally sitting on Eunyoung’s leather chair, she turned the computer on.

‘Is she the top dog here or what?’ Chaewon thought as she grabbed the pen next to the keyboard. She opened a drawer from the wooden desk and rummaged through some papers. Nothing relevant to her. She finally found a blank sheet and grabbed it, putting it on the desk.

‘Is Eunyoung cheating on Minju?’ was the next thought she had as she drew random shapes on the paper. ‘What a piece of shit. Why would someone do that to Minju?’ She stopped drawing when the last thought passed through her head. ‘What the fuck am I thinking? It’s not my problem.’

When the computer was finally turned on, Chaewon started searching on it for whatever she could get. ‘Thank fuck she doesn’t have a password.’

It took her a few minutes to finally locate what she was looking for.

“Aha, this investigation is for... The Pit?” Chaewon read Eunyoung’s notes for a moment, stopping after a certain point. “Is she a dumbass? Why is she even...?”

This was bad, bad news.

For Eunyoung, at least.

Printing out the document, she skulked in the office for a moment, looking for any other things that could be important to her. Finally, she decided to open chrome, to see if she could see through Eunyoung’s social media and emails.

Finding one strange email, she opened it, reading through it.

‘Yes, it would be better if this was kept at the most secrecy.

Here is the archive for The Pit’s finances and proof of their ties with a local gang and a club in the area.

As always, don’t mention the whistleblower.’

“Is this guy a dumbass?” she exclaimed under her breath. She also printed the document that came with the email. Finally turning the computer off, she took the pages and hid them in her jacket and rushed outside the office.

Walking downstairs, she met that man again.

“Oh, I was about to go check on you,” he said kindly, stopping in front of her.

“Ah, that’s not... I’m leaving now.”

“Thankfully. I thought I would have to force you out of here,” he joked. “Go rest, Eunyoung. Your work won’t go anywhere.”

“Yes, of course. See you later,” Chaewon said, trying to minimize the interactions she had with the rest of Eunyoung’s coworkers. However, after walking for a few steps, she stopped, turning back to Eunyoung’s office.

Getting into the room, she turned the computer on. Quickly getting into the computer’s settings, she added a password.

There was something about that dude that’s fake as fuck. Was he Eunyoung’s rival? Still, she’d rather be safe than sorry.

Finally leaving the building, she started walking towards the bus stop, but stopped when she remembered. She doesn’t have a phone. She could steal one? Maybe rob a random person.

Hiding on an alley, she waited patiently for the perfect idiot to pass. Grabbing a tree branch when she heard footsteps, she looped an arm against that person’s neck, jabbing the branch against his back.

“W-wha-what...?”

“Give me your phone,” Chaewon commanded gruffly.

“Wha-no-I-” the man babbled.

“If you want to live, give me the phone,” Chaewon barked, jabbing the man even more harshly.

“Y-y-yes! Of course!” the man said, looking in his pockets for the phone. “H-here it is.”

“Throw it on the ground.”

“Agh,” the man coughed when Chaewon applied pressure on his neck. When he threw it on the floor, Chaewon let the man go, but not before hitting him hardly on his neck’s pressure point, making him fall on the floor, unconscious.

“Tch, he fell on the phone,” she scoffed as she moved the man’s body to retrieve the phone. Opening the phone, she took the chip out and threw on the ground. “Can’t have this reach Eunyoung,” she mumbled, arming the phone again and putting it in her pocket.

Walking towards the bus stop, she stopped abruptly, thinking on using the money Eunyoung’s parents had given her to buy the chip the phone needed.

It would probably take her a while.


	6. Chapter 6

Minju was exhausted when she finally reached home. After the chief had learned about her peculiar situation, she had been able to have a few days without an irregular schedule, which she both welcomed and now dreaded, Eunbi’s words now circling her head, never leaving her for a moment.

What if she was right?

What if engaging with Eunyoung had been a mistake?

No, it couldn’t be. They had known each other for a long time, and knew each other inside and out. They had been through everything together. Marriage was only natural, right?

But Eunyoung was a different person now.

How could they make it work a month before the wedding?

Trying not to torture herself any longer, she finally got out of the car and walked towards her house. Opening the door, she found her dad watching TV, the sound of gunshots ringing throughout the house. Smiling at the familiar sight, she sat next to her dad, hugging him immediately.

“Hi,” she greeted, getting comfortable on his shoulder.

“Hello,” he greeted mindlessly, his mind on the show he was watching. After that, Minju didn’t say anything, instead choosing to stay quiet and concentrate on the show to silence the thoughts in her head.

“Is there something on your mind?” his dad asked when the credits were rolling.

“Has Eunyoung come while I was gone?” she asked instead.

“No, haven’t seen her since she left in the morning,” he answered, turning to look at her. “Are you worried?”

“A lot,” she admitted, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not sure what we’re going to do. She doesn’t want to go to the doctor, and she just... How are we gonna get married if she doesn’t even remember who she is?”

Her dad looked at her, sadly. “She’ll come around.”

“I wish I had as much faith as you do,” she whispered, hugging her dad tight before letting him go, standing up to leave for her room. “I’m going to my room.”

“Sweet dreams,” his dad said, his eyes filled with worry.

“Yeah, good night,” she said, walking to her room. She quietly, slowly, did her nighttime routine, hoping that Eunyoung would come while she was preparing herself for sleep. Her heart never stopped being filled with worry, not even when she was already under the covers.

“Maybe she already left for her parent’s house,” Minju whispered, and the thought filled her with disappointment. I mean, she probably knew she was being selfish, as her parents also deserved to spend time with their daughter, but she couldn’t help but want to know were Eunyoung was, even more so with the dangerous things she had been doing as of late.

“What can I even do for her?” she whispered to herself again, wracking her brains for the perfect idea to help Eunyoung recover her memories. And just like that, she had an idea. How good it was, she had no clue.

\--

It was morning, and Chaewon had spent the entire night doing nothing but reading the papers she had printed at Eunyoung’s office. Eunyoung’s parents hadn’t disturbed her much, only to ask her if she has eaten (she hasn’t, but she said she had) and to ask her what she was doing (she lied about that, too). They didn’t seem to care, though. They seemed happy she had decided to spend some time there.

The papers contained very urgent information, which needed to be destroyed, as per Insun’s request. But before she could even do that, she needed to find the mole and make him wish he had never been born.

The thing is, this wasn’t even difficult. Given other clues she had found on the emailed papers, that person seemed to be hiding in a close city or town, probably with wide access to the gangs inner dealings and shell corporations’ records. This meant that either they had worked for the gang previously, and they are hiding, or they are currently working for the gang without being required to live close to them. She bet on the first option.

Either way, it wasn’t that difficult. She just needed to return to the newspaper, and look into this person and their previous exchanges.

Hopefully that meddling dumbass wasn’t there to tell her to go home.

The (her?) phone vibrated, signaling she had received a message.

‘When would you like to meet?’

Giving an almost imperceptible smirk, she wrote back.

‘Whenever you’re free’

‘Today? 6 pm?’

‘Sounds good’

Great, another thing to look forward.

Walking out of the house, but not before greeting Eunyoung’s parents (she needs, to... she is staying in their house, after all), she decides again to go walking to Eunyoung’s job to get what she needed.

“Oh, you’re here again?” a dude said when Chaewon crossed the door.

“Yeah, forgot something,” she said, walking towards the stairs.

“Hey!” she heard a voice and grumbled in distaste when that same man from yesterday caught up to her. “Weren’t you supposed to be resting?”

“Yeah, I just forgot something.”

“Well, I’ll be here, counting the time you stay there,” he said pointing at the non-existent watch in his wrist.

“Uh-huh.” Chaewon continued walking towards Eunyoung’s office. It took a while for the computer to turn on, but she started looking for the emails as soon as she could. Opening notepad, she copied every email both had exchange for what seemed to be a couple of months, to the print the document. Again, saving the papers on her jacket, she turned the computer off, and walked out of the office.

On her way down the stairs, she was intercepted by some woman.

“Excuse me? Eunyoung?” Chaewon wasn’t still used to being called another name, so her response was slower.

“Yes?”

“Uhm,” she hummed shyly. “I need to make some updates on your computer, but you put a password in it so...”

“Is it life or death?” Chaewon asked.

“W-well, no...”

“Then leave it like that. I don’t want any fiddling on my computer,” she said resolutely. She didn’t want the gang information to spread to anyone.

The woman tripped on her words for a moment before nodding, giving her a ‘hope you get better’ before climbing up the stairs.

‘That was weird,’ Chaewon thought, turning her head to look up the stairs. She would keep her eyes open for any suspicious thing.

She was about to return to Eunyoung’s house, but, in the end, decided to do something she had already mulled about. She, then, walked towards a nearby hotel. The bills she had gotten from the hidden box at Handong were going to come in handy.

Entering into what seemed the cheapest hotel in the area, she walked towards the counter. The lady, who had been reading a magazine, had her expression turn sour when she looked at her.

“Well, well, if it isn’t one of you pesky reporters.”

“Who are you calling pesky?” Chaewon answered bitingly.

“You, obviously,” the woman said, exasperated. “Or you don’t remember your newspaper’s terrible review for this hotel.”

“I obviously don’t,” Chaewon grumbled. “Can I have a room or what?”

“If you apologize,” the woman said, a smug smile on her lips. Chaewon narrowed her eyes at the woman, feeling the irritation seep in. She didn’t know who this woman thought she was, but Chaewon wouldn’t apologize for shit, even less for shit she hadn’t even done.

“Fuck off,” Chaewon said, walking towards the exit. She heard the woman gasp, scandalized at Chaewon’s insult, but Chaewon couldn’t care less. She would go to another hotel and that was that.

True enough, there was another cheap hotel close to that place. Still, Chaewon grumbled about the woman, even after she had already entered her room.

She sat down on the bed, and got the papers she had printed out from her jacket. Reading them intently, nodding at some parts, she lowered the papers when she finally got what she wanted.

A clue to his location.

Folding the papers and saving them on her jacket, she opened the door to her room. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Taking it out, she saw a foreign number.

‘What the...?’

“Yeah?” she answered.

“Eunyoung?” a soft voice, which Chaewon recognized immediately, resounded.

“No, I’m not...” Chaewon heaved in exasperation. “Yeah, whatever. Minju?”

“It’s you,” the voice said with relief. “Your parents gave me your new number, if you don’t mind.” That’s right. In on of those times they had come into her room to ask her if there was something she needed, they had seen the new (for her) phone. They had immediately barraged her with questions, and Chaewon had done her best not to bite their heads off. Instead, she just gave them her number, and asked, as politely as she could, them to leave the room.

“Nah,” Chaewon denied, feeling a strange warmth at the thought of Minju trying to contact her. “What’s up?”

“I wanted to ask if you... if you wanted to meet with our friends at Jello’s.”

“Minju, I’ve already told you...”

“Please, this one time,” she pleaded, making Chaewon shut up. The woman thought for a moment, then let out a sigh.

“What time?” Minju cheered on the other side of the line, making Chaewon’s lips quirk slightly.

“At 5.”

“Uh, no can do.”

“What? Why?”

“Already have something to do.”

“Are you doing something dumb again?” Chaewon huffed.

“No.”

“Then what are you doing then?”

“It’s nothing.”

“It IS something. Or... you just don’t want to go?” Minju’s voice sounded so vulnerable, it made Chaewon sigh in resignation.

“I’ll be there. One hour. That’s it. I have an appointment, for real,” Chaewon said, smiling more openly when Minju thanked her cutely. She swore aegyo was the dumbest thing, but Minju made it sound... acceptable.

Hanging up, she left for the nearest bus station, hoping she could get a bus close to where she had in mind.

\--

Finally getting off on the smallest town in that county, she walked to the inside of the bus station, hoping to see someone there. When she saw no one, she huffed, walking outside.

The town was truly small, having no chain supermarkets nor anything that was conglomerate owned. Instead, the businesses that surrounded Chaewon were family-owned, so they were, most likely, a bigger source for help.

There was a small diner that Chaewon could see in the distance, so she walked towards it, hoping it was open.

Fortunately, it was open, so she entered gingerly, stepping careful so as to appear as innocent as possible. She knew that without her real body, she had a disadvantage, but she was sure she could still make it work.

Sitting on a booth, a woman quickly came to attend her.

“Oh, welcome, dearie! You seem to not be around here!”

“No, I’m not,” Chaewon smiled at the woman. “I’m actually looking for someone.”

“Oh, who is it?” Chaewon was about to answer, but the woman interrupted again. “Oh, were are my manners, you’re probably hungry. What do you want to eat?”

“Oh, you are right. I am hungry,” Chaewon said, laughing charmingly. “Could you bring me the biggest steak with fries?”

“Would you even be able to finish it?” the woman asked, appraising her petite form.

“With the hunger I have right now, I’d be surprised if I didn’t.”

“Alright, I’ll be back with some grub for you.” Chaewon nodded, waiting for the food (and, most importantly, the woman), to come. It took a while until the woman came back.

“Here you go,” the woman said kindly. “So, please tell me. I’d like to help you find this friend.”

“Well...” Chaewon acted as if she was hesitating. “I don’t know if I can call a friend someone who I love so much.”

The woman hummed, know putting her complete attention on Chaewon.

“I thought he loved me, too, but...” Chaewon sniffed, as if she was trying to contain her tears. “But he abandoned me when he knew I was pregnant.” The old woman gasped.

“That horrible man!” the woman said, putting a hand on top of Chaewon, who had to resist snatching her hand away as much as she could. “Could you describe him to me? Maybe I know him?”

‘Crap,’ Chaewon thought. ‘What do I do?’

“I... I just...” Chaewon faked sobbed, placing her head on the table. Trying to cry as convincingly as she could.

“Oh, no, dear,” the woman said sadly, patting her hand several times. “I think I know a young man who moved a few months ago here. Maybe he is the one you are looking for?”

Chaewon raised her head. “Where does he live?”

“I can take you to him,” the old woman offered.

“I don’t want to be a burden,” Chaewon said, lowering her head.

“Nonsense. I want you to find that man and knock some sense into him.” Chaewon smiled slightly. “Now, eat, eat. Please grab some strength for later.”

Chaewon bowed her head slightly in appreciation, chowing on the plate of food that was quickly getting cold. Chaewon secretly enjoyed the food, sniffing now and then to show her “sadness”. The woman just stayed with her, as if trying to comfort her.

“How much would it be?” Chaewon asked.

“No, leave it to me, dearie,” the woman said, smiling at Chaewon.

“I don’t...”

“No, no more saying nonsense. Let’s get you to that good-for-nothing.”

“Thank you,” Chaewon forced herself to say.

They got out of the restaurant, but not before the woman yelled loudly, “Joon! I’m leaving!”. The continued walking, the woman silently grabbing Chaewon’s hand, as if trying to wordlessly comfort her. Chaewon, on the other hand, was thinking about ways to get the man to speak.

After a while, they finally got to an apartment that was a little far from the rest of the town, which kinda made sense for someone hiding from a very powerful gang. Chaewon managed to see the surveillance camera that was on the front door, making her think that maybe it was a good idea for the woman to come with her.

“Jungwoo! Open up!” the woman screamed, slamming her fist against the door. The strength with which she hit the door impressed Chaewon

‘Maybe in another life this woman could have been a fighter’

It took a moment before a mousy man, dressed in sweatpants and a greasy t-shirt, opened up.

“What’s going on, Mrs Park?”

“What’s going on?! You rascal!” Chaewon put a hand on the woman’s arm, as if to stop her.

“I-I’ll talk to him alone,” she said, sighing as she again turned to look at the man who looked more confused by the second.

“Are you sure?” the woman looked worriedly at her.

“What’s happening?” the man asked again.

“You shut up,” the old woman growled. “And listen to her from now, Jung Jungwoo!”

“Can I speak to you in private,” Chaewon said, rubbing her arm coyly.

“Uh,” the man looked at the old woman and then at Chaewon as if he was cornered. “Yes, of course.” He opened the door so Chaewon could enter.

“You better treat her right,” the old woman muttered before the man closed the door. Jungwoo turned to look at Chaewon, confusion spread in his features.

“Eunyoung? W-what do you want to talk about?” the man asked.

1

2

3

“You’re not going to say anything?”

4

5

Chaewon lunged at the man, slamming him against the door. The man huffed, having his breath cut off.

“Do you even know what the fuck you are doing?” Chaewon spat, shedding any pretense of meekness. The man tried prying her fingers from his throat, but Chaewon just tightened her hold on him. “Answer, before I lose my patience.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he choked out, trying more urgently to get out of Chaewon’s grip.

“Does The Pit sound familiar to you?” he looked at her in confusion.

“You told me to send you the files.”

“Where did you get this?”

“I... I am not sure.” The man looked scared, as if he was coming to a realization.

“No?” Chaewon said before punching him in the face. “Maybe I can refresh your memory.”

“No! I don’t know anything!”

“Stop lying you little bitch,” Chaewon snarled as she punched him again. “WHERE.DID.YOU.GET.THIS” The man stayed silent for a moment, which made Chaewon’s temper flare, making her punch him again.

“How the fuck did you get the finances from Motor Roar?”

“I don’t know.” Chaewon punched him again.

“You know, if you’re fleeing from them, you shouldn’t have tried to rat them out to a shitty newspaper,” she said, her voice more serene, but her hold on his neck became tighter. “There are people coming for your head, and, interestingly, I am not your biggest worry now.” The man’s eyes widened before he could school his expression into something neutral.

“I... I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“Do you even know who you are fucking with?” Chaewon said, her free hand grabbing a pen close by. “Oh, well. I guess you’ll never know.” The man’s eyes when Chaewon made a motion to stab his neck with the pen.

“No! No! Please!”

“I gave you already three chances, Jungwoo,” Chaewon said with a sing-song voice. “It’s too late.”

With the biggest amount of strength she could muster, she swung her arm around. But before she could even get to do any scratch on him, she felt an unbearable pain below her breast. Chaewon shrieked, clutching her chest in pain. The man took the chance to push her away, trying to get out the door.

Trying to wrestle against the strange pain, she threw herself on the man, making both of them fall onto the floor.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she wheezed out. What was happening to her? She turned to look at the man, who now laid unconscious, his head having hit a plastic box while falling.

“Fuck,” she cursed, rolling to the side to grasp her chest. “What the fuck.” Her eyes started getting cloudy and her ears roared. “Oh, fuck. ”

It took moments before the pain subsided, and even after it finally did, it took Chaewon a while to finally be able to get on her feet.

“Shit,” she wheezed, looking at the still unconscious man and the rest of the diminutive house. What had just happened? Was that supposed to be a heart attack or something? Was Eunyoung ill with something she wasn’t informed about?

The accident. Her pain may have to do with the accident. She may need to take some tests, after all.

“Oh, fuck.” She grabbed the man’s body, dragging with across the floor towards the desk chair that was in front of a high-end computer. Although she knew the guy was getting hit with everything that was scattered on the floor (boxes, electronic parts, and papers), she didn’t give a shit.

Trying to get him onto the chair was a more difficult affair that she cared to admit. Maybe Eunyoung didn’t exercise in the slightest. Opening each drawer of every piece of furniture, she finally found some zip ties, which she used to bind his hands and feet. Pushing the chair to the side, she tried fiddling with the computer, only to find that it had a password.

“Idiot,” she muttered as she moved to inspect the papers that were all around the house. None was useful. She turned to look in the bookshelf for something that could help her know about this. She ended grabbing each book, throwing onto the floor those that were useless.

She finally found a binder that had many financial accounts from a shell corporation she recognized.

“This dude had ties with the Motor Roars, alright.” A grunt made her snap her head towards the man, who seemed to finally be gaining consciousness. He seemed lost for a moment, until he finally laid his eyes on her.

“W-what...” he tried moving his hands and feet, but at the feeling of the zip ties, he panicked.

“Please, don’t hurt me.” And Chaewon understood the petition.

“I’m not like the Motor Roars. I don’t torture people for info,” Chaewon announced stepping towards the man, who recoiled from her as much as he could. “I just want to have a little chat.”

“Yes, whatever you need...” Chaewon smirked.

“That’s more like it. Why were you being so difficult, Jungwoo?”

“Try being choked and threatened by a person you thought you could trust.”

“I’m not Eunyoung, you waste of space. I know, I know. I look exactly like her. But I’m not her.”

“Are you her twin?” he asked, his eyes wide.

“No.” Chaewon snorted. “I am nowhere related to that goody two shoes.”

“Then how...?”

“Questions over. I want answers. Though,” she looked at the binder in her hand. “I already have some answers to the questions I had.” Upon seeing what was in her hand, Jungwoo lowered his head in defeat.

“Yes, I was an accountant for the Motor Roars for a while.”

“How much is a while?”

“Two years.”

“Wow,” Chaewon whistled. “That was a long time. Why did you get out?”

“I didn’t know what they were doing.”

“You didn’t know a shell corp is doing criminal shit? How convincing,” Chaewon deadpanned.

“Shell corporations are used by big conglomerates, too. I thought...”

“That it was just a front for another legal company, huh...”

“Do you believe me?” he asked, looking at her with fear in his eyes.

“I don't know,” she said, mocking his earlier words. “And? Are you running away?”

“I tried to, but you found me...”

“And you’re lucky I’m the first. If it had been anyone else, well...” she started walking in circles.

“Y-you said there are people coming for my head... What does that mean?”

“It means exactly that. You think you worked for the Motor Roars?” The man nodded. “No, you don’t work for the Motor Roars. You work for the gang the Motor Roars are a part of.”

“What gang?” his eyes widened.

“The Ravens. Don’t let the name fool you. They are one of the most powerful in this country. Gangs like the Motor Roars are just their henchman. But if they believe someone is dangerous enough, they might take care of it themselves...”

“Were you sent by them?”

Chaewon laughed with mirth. “No, and that’s the worst part of it all. I was sent here by one of the small fighting rings that exist in the zone. If they know, and they are after your head, then The Ravens most definitely know where you are.”

“W-will they c-come for me?” he trembled. Chaewon felt a pang of sympathy for the man. ‘What the fuck. Minju’s niceness is rubbing off on me.’

“No, for now. They are counting on people like me to do the job.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Chaewon stood quiet for a moment.

“No, if you are willing to make a deal with me.”


	7. Chapter 7

Minju had been fretting for a while, having all of her and Eunyoung’s friends already gathered. As soon as the first girl had arrived, they had started asking for Eunyoung, obviously aware of her accident and subsequent hospitalization. Minju had only been able to tell them that she had had something to do and she would arrive soon. No one but Eunbi knew about Eunyoung’s condition, and she hoped that if it came to light, whether by Eunyoung’s actions or by her own words, it could all make Eunyoung remember more about her life.

Finally, after ten minutes of the friends conversing between them, Eunyoung arrived. Her hair was mussed and Eunyoung herself looked as if she had gotten into trouble again. It made Minju want to question her immediately, but knew she couldn’t, not in front of her friends.

Eunyoung stomped towards their table and sat in the only available chair.

“What up,” she greeted, her breathing as if she had run.

“What’s up,” Gyuri shot back, her mouth contorted in humor at her greeting. Everyone else just looked at Eunyoung, amused. Eunyoung, probably not having manners (as of late), just raised an eyebrow at her friends, who seemed even more amused.

“What? Are you cosplaying or something?” Go Yujin asked before taking a sip of her latte.

“Cosplaying what?” Eunyoung asked point-blank, making Minju internally cringe.

“I don’t know, a troublemaker from an 80’s film.” Eunyoung just laughed dryly, not answering the question.

“Well, honey, why don’t you go order something for yourself?” Minju asked Eunyoung.

“I’m not- Okay, okay. Something to drink. Yup.” Having Eunyoung leave for a moment gave her time to think.

“What’s wrong with Eunyoung?” Sae asked, turning slightly to look at the woman now at the counter.

“Yeah, girl just arrived and said ‘what up’,” Gyuri laughed. “I’ve never heard her say that, ever.” Eunyoung arrived just in time, sitting down without uttering a word.

“So, why are you so...?” Ahn Yujin asked, eyeing Eunyoung’s hair.

“Was in a hurry,” the woman answered shortly, taking a sip from her... hazelnut cappuccino?

“Why are you drinking this?” Minju voiced, hurriedly snatching the drink away from Eunyoung.

“Why? I can’t?” Eunyoung huffed, irritated.

“You are allergic to nuts!” Minju countered, already feeling her blood pressure go up. How did Eunyoung not remember one of the most important things about herself?

“What?” Eunyoung exclaimed in shock, turning to look at her body. She then turned to look at Minju, her eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because this is not something I should be telling you,” Minju pointed out.

“Bullshit,” Eunyoung snapped, turning to look at the window on the right, making Minju bite her lip. The younger woman turned to look at her friends, which were looking at Eunyoung in a combination of shock and, in Sae’s case, horror. Minju tried putting her hand over Eunyoung’s, but Eunyoung snatched her hand away, as if she was on edge. “How the fuck was I supposed to know?”

Minju didn’t know what to answer, instead, lowering her head in both anger and shame at the way Eunyoung was behaving in front of their friends. Now the atmosphere was awkward, and no one said a word.

“I'm sorry,” Eunyoung said curtly after a moment. “I screwed up.” Minju turned her head, just in time to see her bowing to their friends and leaving the place. Feeling torn between staying there with her friends and chasing after Eunyoung, she looked at them, who all were still looking at the exit Eunyoung had gone through.

“I think you should go talk to her,” Go Yujin said, finally turning to look at Minju.

“I’m not sure I should,” Minju whispered in defeat. While she was aware that she shouldn’t have expected Eunyoung to know about her allergies, her fiancee shouldn’t have lashed out like that. It was unbecoming and undeserved. She wasn’t the one who had to apologize.

“So you’re just going to let her go?” Gyuri asked, drumming her fingers on the table.

“I am not going to run after her to apologize,” Minju said, gripping Eunyoung’s drink.

“I’m just saying that you’re getting married in a month. If you let this one go without talking to each other, then I am sure this is not going to be the last time you fight.” Minju knew Gyuri was right, but she was getting tired of having to deal with Eunyoung like this.

“I-I think you should see if something’s bothering her,” Sae proposed timidly, speaking for the first time after Eunyoung’s outburst. “Maybe something happened to her on the way here.” Minju looked at the exit, feeling troubled at the prospect. ‘What is she doing behind my back?’

The question (which she had hesitated to make to herself since Eunyoung woke up) rattled her more than it ever had. There were many things that Eunyoung did that were incomprehensible to her now. If she truly didn’t remember who she was, how did she always say she had things to do?

She needed to know. She needed to know now.

“Sorry, I’ll come back quickly,” she said, rushing out of the place. But she had lasted too long, as Eunyoung was nowhere to be seen. She tried calling her while walking in the direction she thought Eunyoung went, but the older woman didn’t answer. She tried calling again, and this time, Eunyoung picked up.

“Eunyoung! Where are you?” Minju asked before Eunyoung could even speak.

“I know I fucked up,” Eunyoung said instead. “I know.”

“We need to talk about it,” Minju said firmly.

“There’s not much to say now, is it?”

“There is,” Minju assured her. “I want to know. What-” she paused when someone slammed into her. “What happened to you? What made you so... angry?”

“Just some asshole,” Eunyoung answered.

“But why? What did that person do?”

“Some dumb shit,” Eunyoung evaded the question, making Minju sigh heavily.

“Eunyoung, please. I need to know.” Minju could hear the frustration on Eunyoung’s end.

“You don’t. You really don’t.”

“So there is something you’re hiding from me...” Minju stopped when she saw Eunyoung standing in front of a store.

“Is not something that will affect you.”

“Of course it does! You’re my fiancee!” Minju said, frustrated, finally deciding to walk towards Eunyoung. “Anything that you do behind my back affects me!”

“This is not Eunyoung’s problem. This is my problem.”

“You are Eunyoung!” Minju grabbed Eunyoung’s shoulder, making the latter turn to look at her.

“I am NOT Eunyoung. When the fuck are you going to understand that?” Despite the fierce answer, Chaewon wasn’t able to maintain a harsh exterior when the light in Minju’s eyes dimmed. Even less, when she knew she was the one to fuck up (why was she even agreeing to meet many people in Minju’s life anyway?). “It has to do with one of Eunyoung’s investigations.”

“You’re still trying to work?” Minju asked in disbelief.

Chaewon sighed, exasperated. “You know that’s pissing me off, right? You’re completely ignoring me when I say I’m not Eunyoung. I know! I know you don’t believe me,” Chaewon cut Minju off. “But even if you don’t believe me, and you think I’m mental, then, think, how the fuck am I supposed to know about this person’s allergies? I don’t! I don’t know.”

“Sorry,” Minju apologized (wasn’t she resolute in NOT apologizing?). “I know you can’t know because of the accident. I just...” she trailed off.

“I was a huge asshole. Pretty sure I scared your friends.” Chaewon scratched her neck.

“No, just surprised them. Eunyoung never curses.”

“Figured that already.” Chaewon thought for a moment. “What could I do to prove to you that I am not your fiancee?”

The question took Minju aback. What could she do to prove she wasn’t Eunyoung? It was ridiculous... but thinking about her previous words, maybe she ought to believe her, even for a moment...

“Well...” Minju trailed off. “I want you to do some blood work and scans.”

“Ah.”

“If everything comes back correctly,” Minju concluded. “Then, I might consider the possibility you’re not Eunyoung.”

Eunyoung was quiet for a moment, making Minju worry that she would receive a negative.

“Why not? I wanted to take some tests, anyway,” Chaewon shrugged her shoulders.

“Let’s go, then,” Minju said, grabbing Eunyoung’s hand.

“Now?”

Minju shook her head. “We still have to go back to our friends.”

Chaewon held back a groan. “Alright. Okay.” She owed Minju at least this much.

–

Chaewon was sitting on the waiting area, waiting for Minju to come out of the bathroom. It had taken a while to perform the brain scan that Minju was fighting for, but thankfully, the hell had already ended.

Looking at her phone, Chaewon re-read the answer she had gotten from Eunyoung’s coworker for the rain check she had to ask for. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary with the answer, but Chaewon was just debating in her mind whether it would be worth it or not.

Finally, Minju came out of the bathroom, sitting right next to Chaewon.

“Has the doctor come to say anything?” she asked.

“No.” Chaewon huffed impatiently. “Is this going to take fucking forever?”

“You don’t really like hospitals, do you?” Minju observed, turning to look at her fiancee. The thought of Eunyoung’s secrets made Minju want to notice even the smallest details of this new Eunyoung who called herself Chaewon.

“Not really.” Chaewon sniffed. “How long is this going to take?”

“It’s just some blood work and we’re free to go,” Minju answered, trying to comfort a fidgety Eunyoung. “Do you want to go somewhere after this?” she asked on a whim. At some point, Sae was right. Something was happening with Eunyoung, and she had let it go on unchecked for too long.

A part of her told her that it was Eunyoung getting into things that were unlike her because of any possible brain damage. Another, minuscule, part of her told her that maybe Eunyoung… or this person, Chaewon, was right, and she was not Eunyoung.

The mere idea was too crazy…

“Go somewhere?” Chaewon cocked her head to the side.

“Yeah, what do you like to do to unwind?” Chaewon was pensive for a moment.

“I like the arcade.”

“The arcade? Really?” Minju asked skeptically. Eunyoung really hadn’t been that big of a fan of videogames. She’d play at most Mario Kart and that was when they had game nights with their friends.

“Why? Too adult for your frog pajamas?” Chaewon crossed her arms, smirking.

“My pajamas are not childish,” Minju rebuked playfully, hitting Chaewon slightly.

“Sure they aren’t.” Chaewon cleared her throat. “So, you want to go after this?”

“You have something else to do?”

“Not really.” Chaewon denied, although she herself knew she was lying. There was no need for Minju to know, anyway.

“Great!”

\--

Chaewon entered the arcade with a spring in her step, her face contorted into a strange expression that can only be described as a toothy smile poorly hidden. Inspecting the games, she walked around the whole arcade. Minju followed behind silently, enjoying this new side of Eunyoung that she could see.

"What are you doing?" Minju asked when Chaewon stopped, amused.

"I'm getting to know the arcade."

"Know the arcade? What for?"

Chaewon cleared her throat, as if she was trying to sound serious. "It's never a good idea to start playing the first game you find. You need to have an strategy to spend your dough."

Minju raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, there are so many games that you can't get stuck on just the first one you find." Chaewon nodded.

"So? What's your verdict?"

"The asteroids one and the pong are a fucking waste of time," Chaewon declared. "Street Fighter, Double Dragon… that's the ones we should play."

"I'm playing too?" Minju asked, surprised that Chaewon was trying to include her (honestly, she thought she'd end up watching Eunyoung play).

"Obviously. It's a bore to just watch someone play."

"I wouldn't mind that," Minju countered softly, making Chaewon scowl.

"So you don't want to play?"

"No, I meant that if you wanted me to watch you play, I would," Minju clarified.

Chaewon looked at her as if she was crazy. "Why would you even want to just watch?"

"You find entertaining to play. I find entertaining to watch," Minju answered simplistically. "What are you choosing to play, then?"

Chaewon hummed. "Maybe… Street Fighter." Walking towards the machine, Minju looked around, and was unsurprised to find not many people around. Who came to an arcade nowadays?

"Of course you would pick a fighting game," Minju murmured dryly as she followed Chaewon. "So? What's this game about?" Minju asked, analyzing the machine in front of her.

"You don't know Street Fighter?" Chaewon asked, astonished. Minju shook her head.

"The only games I know of is Mario Kart and Wii Sports." Chaewon shook her head.

"Pity. So, it's game where your character fights other characters," Chaewon answered, putting a coin inside the machine.

"Press this button for a punch, and this one for a kick," Chaewon instructed. "There are some things called combos that you can do when you've hit me many times."

"O-okay." Minju had never been good at games, so she was even hesitant to try.

The game started and, predictably, Chaewon won. Minju hadn't known how to move her character to fight Chaewon fairly.

"I'd rather watch you play now," Minju said tiredly as she let the joystick go. "I don't even know how to play."

"Who said that it's an award to gain experience or some shit?"

"You can't gain experience in a game," Minju pointed out, hitting Chaewon's arm for throwing her words back at her and for reminding her of their less than stellar first day after the hospital.

"Sure you can. You think I got good by watching?"

"How did you get good?" Minju genuinely asked, aware that Chaewon played well, too well for what Eunyoung could usually do. Had Eunyoung had a secret love for arcades that she didn't know about?

"I played a lot, obviously." Chaewon mock rolled her eyes.

Minju hit her arm. "I'm serious. I really want to know." Minju sighed when she saw that Chaewon wasn't budging. "Please?"

Chaewon turned to look at Minju when she used that pitiful tone and found herself staring into a pair of puppy eyes. It was… ad- tolerable. It was tolerable.

"Just…" Chaewon shrugged her shoulders, turning her head away to avoid the puppy eyes. It wouldn't hurt to tell Minju, right? "I have always liked videogames, but we never had money for a console, so I started getting some spare change and went to play to my neighborhood arcade."

Minju was surprised at how her eyes had worked. Usually Eunyoung would say, "Stop that. It looks awful," and would hit her arm to stop her from making those eyes, but instead, Chaewon had looked at her… almost affectionately?

"Did you have any kids to play with?" Minju asked, trying to find any thread of memory that she could remember.

"Nobody wanted to play with the kid that got punched her guts out," Chaewon admitted dryly.

"So, you had no friends?"

"Who needs friends anyways?" Chaewon shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but it was apparent that it had meant something for a younger Chaewon. It made Minju's heart ache.

"You have me now," Minju countered, grabbing onto Chaewon's hand. She surprised herself with her strong reaction towards her story, but she couldn't help but feel heartbreak at the idea of a lonely Eunyoung, who wasn't still strong (emotionally nor physically) enough to withstand her circumstances.

Chaewon looked at Minju, her chest filling with some sensation she couldn't understand. But it was a pleasant feeling, so she held onto Minju's hand when the latter was going to let her go.

Clearing her throat, trying to avoid the strange, bubble-like atmosphere, she said, "Let's go play Double Dragon."

Minju beamed at her, over the moon that Eunyoung had, for the first time ever, the initiative to hold her hand.

Squeezing her hand, she followed Chaewon to the next machine.

"Let me guess. This is a fighting game?" Minju asked rhetorically.

"Sort of. It's a beat-em-up. You go through levels and beat bad guys," Chaewon said, aware of the irony of playing a game where she beat people that she now worked with in her daily life. Inserting a coin, she continued, "You're my partner here. As always, you use this button to punch and this one to kick. Try avoiding getting hurt by them or you'll die and leave me alone."

However, it was no use. Minju was only able to last for a few minutes before she died. Chaewon stopped playing when it happened.

"You're still alive! Keep playing!" Minju said, watching the screen where the bad guys were already ganging on Chaewon.

Chaewon, encouraged by Minju, continued playing, but when she realized it would take long before she'd lose, she stopped playing.

"Wha- You were doing good!" Minju exclaimed when she saw the ending screen.

It was hard for Chaewon to hide her smile at the excitement in Minju's voice. "It was getting boring," she said simply. Although there were many games she'd like to play, it feels weird to be having fun while Minju is just there, accompanying her without any other thing to do. "What do you do to relax?"

"Me?" Minju was surprised at the question. "Well, I like watching TV or taking a walk in the park."

"Oh." Admittedly, Chaewon usually had no interest in doing something that requires no effort from her, like watching TV, nor something so quiet, like walking around for no reason. "Maybe we can do one of those things." After all, she owed Minju, now that, thanks to the younger woman, had gone to arcade for the first time in a long while.

"Would you want to?" Minju smiled at Chaewon, grabbing onto her hand again.

"Sure," she said, not minding returning the favor. It wouldn't hurt to do so, right? While she searched for her body.

Shit.

It was almost time to go.

"Maybe another day," Minju said softly. "Is there anything else you want to do?"

"Not really," Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. Knowing how stubborn Minju was in butting in her matters, she needed to be calm and conspicuous. "I need to go."

"Where?" Minju frowned.

"My room."

"Your room? To your house?" Minju asked, wanting to confirm her own hopes that Chaewon wasn't about to go do something dumb.

"Uh huh," Chaewon lied.

"Let's go, then," Minju said as inocuously as she could.

"It's fine. I'll get there on my own," Chaewon waved off.

"You don't want to spend time with me?" Now that she knew this Eunyoung… Chaewon… was weak to her aegyo, she would do it indiscriminately.

"No, I…" Chaewon wasn't sure how to answer to Minju's… attitude, so she just ended up hemming and hawing, until Minju spoke again.

"Then, let me go with you."

I can't. "Nah, it's okay," she stuttered, still thrown off by whatever the fuck Minju was doing.

Chaewon was obviously hiding something, and Minju was completely aware of it. However, at this point, she knew that Chaewon wouldn't budge, and, most likely, they would end up fighting about it. Minju didn't want any more fights.

So, she'll have to use more underhanded methods to know what Eunyoung is doing.

"Okay, okay," she acquiesced. "I'll see you later?" Chaewon seemed to relax.

"Yeah, sure," she agreed shortly. "I'll see you." Minju waved at Chaewon, who returned it hesitantly, feeling dumb at greeting people like that.

Chaewon sighed in relief when she was far enough from Minju. "Thank fuck."

Minju, on the other hand, waited for a moment before she starting following Chaewon. At first, she'd try blending in with other people, but her nervousness at being discovered made her feel she stuck out like a sore thumb, so she ended up hiding behind buildings or cars periodically, ignoring the strange looks people gave her.

She could finally see Chaewon take a left turn towards an dead end, which made her rush towards Chaewon, worried that something bad would happen to the woman. Waiting for a moment, she finally rounded the corner, trying to hide behind the trash can in that alley, but she found herself looking into Chaewon's eyes.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Chaewon asked, irritation seeping into her tone. She hated being followed, reminding entirely of the first times she was entrusted with jobs from her bosses, being threatened with a fate worse than death if she fucked up.

"This is not the way home," Minju countered instead, making Chaewon narrow her eyes.

"Maybe this is my way home."

"This is going in the opposite direction of Eunyoung's house," Minju pointed out, making Chaewon huff.

"Why are you following me?" Chaewon asked point blank, already tired of going in circles (and being unable to explain going the opposite way from Eunyoung's house without having to confess she was staying at a hotel; she'd never hear the end of it).

"You lied to me." Minju said, already aware she wouldn't be able to continue changing the topic, not with Chaewon's temper. "Where are you going?"

"Somewhere." Chaewon's answer frustrated Minju.

"You can't tell me where?"

"It's nowhere important."

"If it's not important, then why can't you tell me?"

"What does it matter?" Chaewon was getting more irritated the more this conversation went on.

"It matters because I care about you. Why can't you be honest?" Minju asked in chagrin, frustration building up again.

"Because it has nothing to do with you, dammit!" Chaewon exclaimed angrily, unable to stop her irritation from taking over.

"You… you…" Minju felt that this was a rehash of their previous conversation, and it made her feel disheartened, like they were never able to get out of square one. She wasn't even aware of her own reaction to Chaewon's words until her sight was blurry, barely letting her see Chaewon's surprise.

"W-why? Why are you crying?" Chaewon asked, bewildered.

"You always do this," she said quietly. Maybe Chaewon's word had hurt her as much. Maybe it was the accumulation of all the things Eunyoung had said and done until now. "It has nothing to do with me? Every time you go out there and come back beaten up, it matters to me. Every time you go do something dangerous I don't understand, it matters to me. Your well-being matters to me."

Chaewon was rendered speechless. Her chest hurt at the sight of the tears running down Minju's cheeks, but she didn't know what to do about it. She was completely inept in these situations, leaving her floundering for an answer.

"But to you, I am a nuisance, right? Someone who continually pesters you and annoys you."

"That's not true," Chaewon defended, still flustered (and panicking about what to do). "I… Okay, you might sometimes be annoying…" Her statement saddened Minju even further. "But I… I don't think… I like you being here," Chaewon admitted, not only to Minju, but to herself.

Why had she accepted to get entangled in Minju's business several times? There was no apparent reason to. The typical her would've just rejected every invitation, every intereference, giving zero fucks about hurting anyone's feelings in the process.

But she knew the reason. She always knew.

"I like hearing about you… And… fuck… I…" Chaewon didn't know how to word what she felt, what she wanted to say, so she took a moment. Minju only looked at her, not saying a word, as if waiting for her to verbalize her thoughts. "I… I want you to be okay. I don't want you to get into things that you shouldn't get into."

"Why?" Minju asked. "What are you doing? Do you really not remember?"

"I am not Eunyoung," Chaewon repeated for what felt the thousand time. "You don't believe, and I know you don't, but there's… I've done every fucking thing possible." Her voice picked a hint of irritation, but Chaewon maintained her voice low and soft, moved by Minju's tears.

Minju wanted to scream in frustration, tired of what seemed to be the biggest problem between the two. She wanted to continue arguing about it, but she needed to be more rational about it.

"You have to understand. The idea of you, somehow being in Eunyoung's body, but not being Eunyoung is ridiculous," Minju pleaded.

"I know," Chaewon said. "I know. But that happened and I'm not her." Chaewon sighed. "What do you want me to do? I already went to those damn tests."

But really, what could Chaewon do? If Minju thought about it, her memories were extremely different from those of Eunyoung, her personality was completely different from Eunyoung's, and (if she was honest with herself) Eunyoung would never fake something like this without telling; she'd never be rude to her or to her family in the way Chaewon had.

God, she really couldn't believe it. She could barely believe it. It was ridiculous.

But she was tired. She was so, so tired of fighting with her.

If this somehow helped, whether it was true or not, then Minju would believe it. She would take Chaewon's story and believe it with all her heart. If it was all an elaborate lie constructed by Eunyoung, then she'd take the hit and deal with it then.

"Okay," Minju said breathlessly, scared of the pit she was falling into. "Okay. You're not Eunyoung."

Chaewon looked at her in surprise. "Just like that?"

"I… I can't do this anymore. Mistrusting you, whoever you are, has lead to nothing but fighting. If you are not Eunyoung, then I want to understand. I want to know what is going on… what has happened to my fiancee."

Chaewon was torn about Minju's words. While she was relieved that Minju was, at least, open to the idea of her not being Eunyoung, she didn't want Minju to get involved in this.

"I'll help bring Eunyoung back," she said, although the idea of Minju meeting Eunyoung again irked her for some reason.

"Is what you're doing related to it?" Minju asked. Although she was making the effort to believe… Chaewon, she wanted the other woman to do the same.

"A little," Chaewon said, but she knew that what she was doing was mostly taking revenge on whoever tried to kill her, hoping that would return her to her body. After all, she didn't know what else to do (and she was royally pissed at the idiot who dared shoot her).

"Then take me with you," Minju pleaded. "I want to know."

"I… Minju…" Chaewon hesitated. "You need to be safe."

"What is it that you're doing that is dangerous?" Chaewon sighed, not wanting to start the conversation.

"Do you remember the first day after being released from the hospital?" Minju hummed.

"How can I not?"

"Do you remember when Eunyoung's dad asked me questions about me?" Minju grimaced, the memory of Chaewon telling Eunyoung's parents off fresh in her mind.

"I do."

"I told her dad that I was an office worker…" Chaewon sighed. She needed Minju to back off, and this was the only way. "That was a lie."

"Then… What are you?" Minju asked, feeling as if she felt she was falling further into this bottomless pit.

"I work for a gang." Chaewon's words took time to register in Minju's mind, but when they did, she just barked a laugh.

It made sense… too much sense. The beatings, the sailor-mouth, the know-how of dangerous places within the city, the lack of fear for violence, the backstory she had given her after they had visited her mom at the hospital...

"It makes sense," she said, holding fiercely onto the last thread of belief. After that, Minju said nothing for a moment, making Chaewon think that either she was in disbelief or she was contemplating getting away from her. What she asked then was a surprise.

"Should I call you Chaewon?"

"Would be nice, yeah," Chaewon answered. "So, Minju… Just… I'll find Eunyoung… You just need to wait."

"I want to help," Minju asserted.

Chaewon bit back a groan. "Didn't I tell you it's dangerous?"

"Who you are talking about is my fiancee, my childhood friend who I love. I can't stay still knowing I can do something."

"You can't do shit," Chaewon countered. "What I'm doing has fuck all to do with you."

"Why? Because it's gang stuff? What are you going to do?"

Chaewon huffed. "Minju, drop it. It's not a fucking game."

"'I'm going out to do stupid thing A.' Is that difficult to say?" Minju retorted.

"Stop it," Chaewon growled, already getting irritated.

"Chaewon." Somehow, Minju calling her name made Chaewon freeze. "You asked me to suspend my disbelief and I did, for you. Is it so hard to tell me what are you doing?"

"It's-"

"Dangerous, I know. But I want to understand." Chaewon sighed, scratching the bridge of her nose.

"Okay. I'll tell you, but not here." Minju had been so fired up that she had forgotten they were in an alley. Embarrassed at the idea of having had a fight with… Chaewon… in the middle of the street, she lowered her head.

"Do you have something to do right now?"

"I do," Chaewon answered after some hesitation. "And no, you can't come. The person I am meeting wants to be anonymous."

"Just… you're going to be safe, right? No beatings?" Minju bit her lip, still hating the idea of Chaewon being beat up.

"No beatings," Chaewon confirmed, her lips quirking at the relief on Minju's face. "Just… I'll tell you later."

"Okay," Minju agreed. "Get to my house after, then tell me everything, okay?"

Chaewon nodded, although she still had her reservations about letting Minju know everything. Maybe she should have left the moment she saw Minju when climbing to the window in Eunyoung's room.

"Don't you dare run away," Minju warned, as if she could read Chaewon's mind. "Don't you dare."

"Didn't plan to," Chaewon answered. After all, she had gone this far for Minju, there wasn't any other thing to do but to go forward and tell her everything (or, at least, as much as is safe for Minju to know).

"Okay." Minju smiled, her expression relieved from the stress of the conversation, but her cheeks still littered with stray tears.

"Uh," Chaewon said, then raised her hands to clean Minju's tears. "Sorry."

"For what?" Minju asked, already aware of the reason for the apology but wanting to hear it from Chaewon.

"For making you cry."

"Not for hiding things from me?" Minju asked, surprised at Chaewon's train of thought.

"For that, too," Chaewon said quickly, though it was obvious her words had no conviction. Minju narrowed her eyes, but not wanting to fight anymore, she accepted the apology.

Regardless, she still said, "Please, stop hiding things from me." Chaewon sighed, whether in resignation or in frustration, Minju didn't know.

"Okay."


	8. Chapter 8

Minju was now laying on the couch, watching an episode of that detective show her dad likes. At first she'd thought about watching the rerun of one of her favorite dramas, but she needed to think, and she needed the empty noise of the TV to ground her in reality.

She had accepted that Eunyoung… Chaewon… wasn't Eunyoung. It was still too crazy for her to think, but she needed to process it, more than anything because she'll be interacting with Chaewon far more often.

Was there a possibility that Eunyoung's body was inhabited with someone else's soul?

If she thought about it, Eunyoung had had a pretty terrible death. She had been working non-stop to publish her investigation, which had been a secret kept from her ('To protect you,' Eunyoung said ironically), and, apparently, that had been deadly. She had fallen asleep at the wheel and had fallen from the bridge and into a dry riverbed. Her car had been a total wreckage, and Eunyoung, in the doctor's own words, had 'miraculously' died a quick, gore-less death.

She had been relaying the news to their families, grieving for the woman when she was called by an excited and out-of-breath doctor, who was suddenly telling her that Eunyoung had woken up after the autopsy. She had woken up without any injuries, quite energetic and… combative, breaking the nose of a mortician.

If Eunyoung had miraculously come from the death without any apparent injuries, was it a stretch to think that, in the time Eunyoung had been dead, the soul of a stranger had inhabited Eunyoung's body?

She sank deeper into the couch, feeling overwhelmed at the idea.

She believed in the supernatural at some point, maybe a scary ghost story or two, but she had never delved too deep into spiritual beliefs. Maybe she ought to make a visit to a shaman? Take Chaewon with her, while she was at it.

Chaewon.

Kim Chaewon.

That's how she said she was named.

Chaewon, the person she had spent the past few days with. She had invited her into her home, curated her injuries, taken her to visit her mom, and slept beside her, the person that had wiped her tears not long ago, saying that she liked having her around.

She knew she ought to be feeling more uncomfortable, but part of her couldn't find it in herself to feel so, maybe because she hung onto the hope that Chaewon was really Eunyoung, who had something happening in her head… maybe because if it was true, and Chaewon was another person, she had spent enough time with her to feel comfortable (or to, at least, not feel like she was a stranger anymore).

It was all too confusing, and she'd need time to process this.

Should she step back and stop trying to be so close with this person?

Suddenly, she heard knocks on the door, and she stood up quickly, rushing to open the door. To her relief, it was Chaewon, who looked disheveled, as if she had gone done something stupid again.

"What took you so long?" Minju said, already worrying about what had happened to the woman.

"Took a detour," Chaewon answered, still out of breath, lying through her teeth. There was a definite reason as to why she didn't want to tell Minju anything.

[Chaewon had sat on one of the tables of the small café, her fingers drumming on the table impatiently, her face covered by a mouth mask. Part of her doubted he'd show up and she'd have to hunt him down again, while another part of her thought that the Ravens had already gotten to him.

Regardless, she had hidden herself as best as she could, and could now only wait for the person that might help her piece out the puzzle of her murderer.

Finally, one Jung Jungwoo entered through the door, huffing and puffing, as if he had rushed here. He turned his head several times, looking for her, and when he finally saw her, he walked towards her table.

"Sorry, I tried to come as quickly as I could," he excused himself hurriedly while he sat in the seat opposite hers.

"Whatever," she said, not wanting to get stuck on something unimportant. "Already paid for some drinks. Now, what do you have for me?"

"Straight to the point? Okay," he tried cracking a joke, but stopped when he realized that she wasn't in the mood. "So, I was first offered a job as an accountant when an acquaintance of an old job recommended it to me."

"Name?"

"Kim Seolchan."

"Go on."

Jungwoo sighed. "He told me it was a job with a good pay, better than the pay I was getting in my previous job, so I took it. It took me very little time to realize that I was working for a shell corporation, but, since other legal companies use shell corporations to avoid taxes, I didn't think much of it. The pay was really good, after all."

Chaewon nodded. She knew about that, alright.

"However, after a while, the shell corp offered me to work in an even better paying job. I obviously accepted, and went to receive the paperwork to work with." Jungwoo grimaced. "It was obvious. Their clothes, their attitudes, everything was a red flag, but I was too blinded by the pay that I went into the office of the boss."

"He then proceeded to tell me what they really were, and what they would expect from me from now on. It was then that I finally understood the weight of what I was about to do, so I rejected the offer." Jungwoo took a pause. "He told me it wasn't an offer, it was an immediate order that if I disobeyed, it would cost me my own life."

"You accepted," Chaewon stated, but there was no accusation in her tone.

"What else could I do?" Jungwoo exclaimed, agitated. "I wanted to live another day!"

"Pipe down," Chaewon warned, turning to look at the waiter, who was speaking with other clients, to then disappear into the kitchen. "So, what do you know about them?"

"Just… I know that most of their income comes from loans and drugs, and this year they went further and started contacting overseas corporations for funds. They want to expand their business."

"How do you know this?" Chaewon asked.

"I heard them talking. I have some documents. They threatened to kill me if I said anything." Jungwoo trembled, as if assaulted by the memory. "That's when I decided I couldn't do it anymore."

Chaewon nodded. So this meant that the Motor Roars were looking for independence by allying with overseas gangs. It was an ambitious project, but one very dangerous.

"Does that help?" Jungwoo asked, his body still weak from the memory.

"I'll need your books, everything related to the Motor Roars," Chaewon commanded, not willing to give Jungwoo any more information than needed. Finally, the waiter came with their drinks.

"I have them in the trunk of my car," Jungwoo said hurriedly as he sipped on his coffee. Chaewon gave a sip to her coffee, but spit it out immediately. The coffee was meant to be bitter, alright, but there was an undercurrent of something strange. Smacking her lips for a moment, her eyes widened and she snatched Jungwoo's cup. Jungwoo was surprised at Chaewon's actions, but he didn't object.

Poison.

"Where is your car?" Chaewon whispered.

"Two blocks from here, why?"

"You're going to get up and walk calmly to your car. I'll follow you at a distance. Whatever you do, don't panic." It didn't seem to help, as Jungwoo panicked immediately and stood up abruptly from his seat. Chaewon felt the need to face palm, but she didn't do it, aware of the two people at one of the tables who were now looking at both of them.

Jungwoo went out first, rushing through the door, disregarding Chaewon's instructions. Chaewon cursed under her breath and followed him almost immediately.

"Where the fuck…?" She quickly located Jungwoo, who was now running towards his car. Turning to look behind her back, she noticed those people were now running out of the store, getting to her.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed and started running. She needed Jungwoo to see another day, so she needed to rush towards him, aware that there might be a possbility that they were already pursuing him.

She ran without a break, pushing people into the men's way to try and slow them down. It worked a little, but Chaewon was aware that if Jungwoo was still there, trying to get into his car, he would be intercepted quickly. No matter what, she'd end up having to fight them or something.

Finally seeing Jungwoo try to open the driver's door of his car, Chaewon stopped, turned around, and gave a high kick. Unfortunately for her, Eunyoung's body doesn't have the skills she has, so the man was able to grab onto her leg.

"Fuck," she cursed again before she moved again, managing to get her leg out of the man's grasp. The man tried punching her, but she was able to avoid it, and punched the man in the face.

She gave a kick to the other man's balls, but her foot was caught. Already anticipating that, Chaewon used the time to punch him in the Adam's Apple. The man choked, making him clutch his neck. Chaewon gave a small look at the place where the car had been, but it wasn't there anymore. She took this as a sign, and started running again.

It took several hours to finally shake them off, having had to run, hide between whatever was available, and sometimes throwing things at them.

When she was finally out of their reach, she called Jungwoo.

"H-hello?" the man asked fearfully.

"It's me," Chaewon said. "The documents. I need them. Where are you?"

"How do I know you're not with them?" Chaewon pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Because I had to fight them off for you, you fucking idiot." She sighed when there was only silence. "Whatever, if you don't want to be seen, just send the papers to the address I'll be sending you."

"I can do that," he stuttered, relieved.

"Good. I'll be expecting them." Chaewon sighed.

"And, Jungwoo? Get the fuck out of this country."]

"No lying," Minju said sternly. "What did you do?"

"Nothing too bad. Just… I had a conversation with someone who had some info." Minju huffed.

"You're not going to tell me what it was about?"

"I will," Chaewon reassured. "Just, give me a break." Minju opened the door widely, letting Chaewon in.

"Should we talk here or in my room?" Minju asked cautiously. After all, she didn't want her parents to know about Chaewon yet. She was still on the fence as is.

"Your room would be better. I don't want your old man hearing what I'm going to say," Chaewon answered, turning to look to the living room.

"Okay, let's go to my room."

Although Minju believed that Chaewon was an entirely different person, inviting her into her room didn't feel uncomfortable at all. Chaewon clearly felt the same, as she sat on the desk chair, stretching her arms for a moment.

"Can you tell me what are you? What are you doing?" Minju asked again after she had sat down on her bed.

"Well, I am part of a gang, and, well… I died."

"If it's not too much to ask, how did you die?" Minju questioned carefully. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be a touchy subject for Chaewon.

"I was in a fight with some dudes from another gang." Minju gasped. "When I had managed to take them out, I was suddenly shot on the back, probably by someone in my gang. I'm sure I died, and then, out of fucking nowhere, I woke up in this body."

"What have you been doing until now? No lies," Minju warned again, making Chaewon huff, but comply nonetheless.

"I was looking for a way to get revenge on the fucker that killed me."

"Revenge is a terrible idea," Minju chastised. "You were out and about with Eunyoung's body doing god knows what."

"At the moment I didn't care," Chaewon admitted. "I just thought that if I found out who tried killing me, I would be able to go back to normal."

"And you didn't have any other idea other than get yourself beaten?" Minju asked reproachfully, both worried by the damage on Eunyoung's body and Chaewon herself.

"That's how I've always done things," Chaewon replied defensively. "What else could I do?"

"Maybe make a consultation with a shaman," Minju offered the idea she had previously thought of. "Violence shouldn't be the first answer to a problem."

Chaewon ignored Minju's last words. "A shaman? Those that talk about ghosts and shit?"

"Why not? They believe in a spirit plane. Maybe they can explain what has happened to you." Chaewon thought about it for a moment.

"I mean… well, yeah, I guess we can try that." Chaewon shrugged.

"The thing you were doing before you came here… Was that related to revenge?"

"Well…" Chaewon pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes and no." At Minju's inquiring look, she sighed. "When I first left Eunyoung's family dinner, I went to a fighting ring, and… well, a person promised to give me intel on my gang in exchange of eliminating a reporter's source for an investigation." Chaewon took a deep breath. "That reporter was Eunyoung."

Minju's eyes widened. "You mean Eunyoung was involved in this?"

"She was investigating the gang related to that fighting ring. I decided that, instead of killing the source, I should try to get the info he has to understand what was going on. After all, that gang is related to mine."

Minju shook her head, almost mournfully. "Eunyoung, I told her she shouldn't be doing something so dangerous." She then turned to look at Chaewon, her eyes filled with fright. "Does this mean that Eunyoung was victim of foul play?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Chaewon said, trying to soften the blow that represented a horrible possibility. Secretly, though, Chaewon leaned towards yes. "Whatever the case, what she was doing was too dangerous."

"I know we're talking about a gang, but how dangerous is dangerous?"

"Dangerous she should leave the country if she wants to live," Chaewon replied honestly. "Honestly, Minju, this is too dangerous for you to even know."

"Why would you even get involved in this?" Minju mumbled. "How did you get into this?" Minju then asked Chaewon clearly.

"It's not important," Chaewon waved off.

"Was it your choice?" Minju insisted, wanting to understand Chaewon's mind.

"It was." Minju deflated at the answer, making Chaewon sigh. "Because there weren't any good options for me."

"What-?"

"Just… I couldn't do anything else," Chaewon cut Minju off. "The point is, I wanted to understand Eunyoung. I wanted to see if it wasn't just a coincidence that our bodies changed. This gang is a thing we both have in common."

Minju decided to leave the matter be. Regardless of how she felt, she knew that Chaewon had a right to privacy. Moreover the defensive way she talked when Minju wanted to delve into Chaewon's story made Minju think that maybe she did need to spend more time with her to get her to open up more.

"You think there is a mission?" Minju asked instead, intrigued by Chaewon's line of thinking.

"Maybe? I don't know." Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. "I guess visiting that shaman thing might help."

"Then we should." Minju turned to look at the door. "How is Eunyoung's investigation related to your gang?"

Chaewon sighed. "Not a word about this to anyone, okay?" Minju nodded. "The gang I am a part of, The Ravens, is a big gang, which really, is an overarching entity that absorbs minor gangs and uses them as henchman. The gang Eunyoung was investigating is one of those, focused on this fighting ring."

"Are you their boss?" Chaewon snorted.

"No. I am part of the Ravens, and although I am a bit higher in hierarchy, they had no reason to listen to me at all. I am disposable." Minju frowned.

"They don't care if you die?"

"Fuck no. There are many dudes that can fight in my place, though few can defeat me," Chaewon bragged, making Minju grimace.

"And, what did he tell you?"

"Ah, that he'll send me the info later," Chaewon answered, choosing to not let Minju about her interactions with him. It was enough for her to know her connection with Eunyoung, anyway.

"Oh. Then, what should we do now?"

"Wait for the info to arrive? Maybe go to the shaman?"

"I'll look it up and make an appointment for next weekend," Minju assured Chaewon. "Shouldn't be too hard." After that, the conversation died there, making the atmosphere an uncomfortable one. There were many questions Minju had for the woman inside Eunyoung's body, but she wasn't sure where to start, knowing that Chaewon was pretty reluctant about speaking about her life.

"You said you like having me around," she settled on saying, making Chaewon groan.

"Don't make me regret saying it." Chaewon turned her head to avoid Minju's gaze. She had told Minju that in a moment of weakness, and, now, she was completely embarrassed by the memory.

"It's not bad to want a friend once in a while," Minju said softly, reminded by Chaewon's admission at the arcade.

"It's stupid," Chaewon barked. Still, she couldn't find in herself to regret telling her about her friendless adolescence, not when she had managed to get such a warm feeling at the touch of her hand.

"It's not. You like having me around. You're not such a bad person to have around either." Her words made Chaewon turn to look at her. "Is that surprising?"

"Well, yeah, I made you cry."

"You have been bad towards me sometimes," Minju agreed. "But you have your nice moments, too." Chaewon looked at her agape for a moment.

"Sorry," Chaewon apologized, not knowing what else to say. The earnest way Minju had said it made her feel a twinge of guilt at all the times she had made Minju upset. Was this girl an angel?

"Don't say sorry anymore. Just… Try to be nicer?" Minju suggested hopefully. Chaewon took a moment to nod slowly, but when she did, Minju smiled.

"I'm a very shit person… but I'll try."

"The first step to changing is admitting your mistakes."

Chaewon huffed. "Is this a 10 step program?"

"Maybe," Minju said playfully. "Please stand by for the next steps." Chaewon snorted, a smile peeking through her lips.

"I guess I will."


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small intermission from the body searching troubles

Kim Chaewon is many things, and has many adjectives attached to her.

Cowardly is not one of those, and yet, here she was, ducking helplessly as Minju tried hitting her with her elbow.

"Get up! Eunyoung loves this aunt," Minju teased under her breath, making Chaewon huff in irritation.

One of the adjectives that is always attached to her is angry, and that is what she is feeling now. Angry towards who? Eunyoung's parents, for inviting Eunyoung's extended family in a way to try to get "Eunyoung" to remember, Minju, for reminding her that she promised to be a less shitty person, and the gods, whichever exists, for putting her up for this, as if this was a huge cosmic joke to them.

"I'm not Eunyoung," she whispered back before pasting an awkward smile (which really resembled a grimace) to greet the elusive aunt Eunyoung seemed to love.

"Oh, dear, I'm so glad you're okay!" the aunt said before rushing to hug Eunyoung, disregarding the outstretched hand.

"Yeah, haha," she gritted out, turning her head to avoid being smothered. "I'm glad, too."

"When I heard about your accident, I couldn't help but hope you would come out fine, and, here! Look at you!" She finally ended the embrace, making Chaewon sigh inwardly. "I'm auntie Jisook. Jisook."

"I heard the first time," Chaewon grumbled in a low voice, grunting when she felt Minju pat her leg, probably having heard her. "Yes… auntie." The words barely came out, as she had never used such nicknames to talk about anyone, not even her parents. At most, she'd used at one point mom and dad, but that had gone unused pretty quickly.

Still, she was relieved that at least she had managed to more or less greet all of Eunyoung's family members politely (or, as politely as she could), all of them greeting her with well-being wishes and the presentation of new names.

"Well, let's talk a bit later, hmm?"

"Yes… auntie. Augh, how many people did they invite?" Chaewon huffed, already exasperated with the whole event.

"Eunyoung is pretty close to everyone in her family. They do family reunions once in a while, so this is not strange," Minju pointed out. "At the very least, they know you 'don't remember anything'," Minju said, trying to console herself. She'd rather have kept Eunyoung's disappearance a secret, but since that wasn't on the table now, she was at least relieved that Chaewon didn't have to pretend… much. She still had a long way to go when it came to kindness, but she was doing fine… as fine as Chaewon could do anyway.

Chaewon huffed again. "Do I really have to speak with all these people?"

"They all came all the way here to help Eunyoung remember, and that was born from kindness. Think about it when you speak to them," Minju advised softly instead.

Chaewon wanted to groan. "Yes, yes. They're kind, and I am an asshole."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"No, that's what I'm saying," Chaewon retorted. "It's just… they have fuck all to do with me, Minju. They might have billions of stories to tell, and they mean nothing to me, but I have to nod as if they do."

"That's what kindness is, understanding that, although this has nothing to do with you, they have all come because they wish to help. If they knew what was happening, they would try to help you, too."

"Would they really?" Minju turned to look at Chaewon.

"Of course they would. Do you really think they wouldn't?"

Chaewon shrugged. "I dunno." To be honest, she had never found someone that would've helped her out of the kindness of their heart. These people… sure, they'd help Eunyoung because they're her family, but they surely wouldn't help a random stranger like her.

"They would," Minju said resolutely. "They definitely would." Her voice softened. "That is kindness, just as helping them cope with Eunyoung's condition is kindness."

"I guess," Chaewon said, her expression pensive. "I guess this is something I would have liked when mother was ill."

Minju frowned when she heard Chaewon mumble about her mother.

"Was your mother ill?"

"Huh?" Chaewon asked, awoken from her inner thoughts. "Oh. Ah, yes."

"If it's not too much to ask, what happened to her?" Minju whispered, aware that Chaewon might not want to talk about it.

"She was ill… then she wasn't," Chaewon answered shortly.

"Did she get…" Minju finally remembered the conversation about Chaewon's mother and how the woman had spoken about her mom in past tense. "Oh."

Chaewon groaned, making Minju turn to look at her.

"Hey, hey, Eunyoung-ie?" A man said as he grabbed Chaewon's hand and shook it vigorously. "Do you perhaps remember me? Or are your screws that loose?"

"I don't know who the- you are," she tried deadpanning, but stuttered when she remembered she couldn't curse.

"Aw, that's too bad, Eunyoung-ie, but maybe I'll make you remember?" His eyes shone with mischievousness as he handed Chaewon a drink.

'What the hell is this old man planning?'

"Give it a shot," she said regardless, taking the can, grimacing when his expression brightened.

"You sure will regret it," he said with a fake deep voice, then scampered.

"What the fuck?" Chaewon said. "He acts like a kid."

"Yeah," Minju answered, embarrassed. "I should've told you he is kind of a jokester."

Chaewon narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"He kind of… pranks people?" Chaewon turned to look at Minju. Pointing the can elsewhere, she opened it, spraying tampered soda onto the grass.

"Are you sure everyone here deserves kindness?"

"Don't be mean," Minju said. "Just… I'll go talk to him."

Chaewon said nothing else, but her eyes widened when she turned to look elsewhere, making Minju look in the direction Chaewon was looking. She gasped when she saw her mother arrive, her father in tow.

Standing up quickly, she rushed towards her mother before anyone else could greet her. Chaewon followed quietly, not wanting to give any family member the opportunity to initiate a conversation.

"Mom…" Minju's mom threw Minju a stern gaze, making the latter quiet down.

"Minnie, why didn't you tell me about Eunyoung's condition?" she asked oh-so-sweetly, making the hairs on Chaewon's arms stand. It was menacing, and, if Chaewon didn't know it was Minju's mother and she wasn't completely healthy, she would have thrown herself in between Minju and her instinctively.

Minju turned to look at her dad, whose eyes were apologetic, but he had no fault. Minju bowed her head.

"We didn't want you to worry," Minju said finally.

"You made Eunyoung act like she was fine in front of me… How is that taking care of your fiancee?" Minju's mom chastised.

"I agreed to it," Chaewon intervened, disliking the idea of Minju being told off for nothing. Minju's mom looked at Chaewon, her eyes softening.

"You don't have to cape for Minnie, Eunyoung."

"I agreed to it," Chaewon insisted. "Nobody forced me to do anything." The three of them turned to look at Chaewon. "I did it because I wanted to."

The forcefulness of Chaewon's words stopped Minju's mom, who looked at her for a moment. At first, the look was one of surprise, then it changed to approval.

"Then what were you thinking, too?" Regardless, Minju's mom chastisement was now directed towards Chaewon. "Not thinking about your own health, clearly."

Chaewon couldn't possibly answer that question truthfully, so she ended up saying, "I thought you shouldn't feel bad about me."

"Why shouldn't I? Because I'm dying?" the woman asked scathingly. "No sickness would stop me from wanting to know what happens to you all."

"I know," Chaewon mumbled, remembering her mother, and their last conversation. "I know you wouldn't."

"Then you shouldn't do it again," Minju's mom said gravely after a moment. "Moreover, what is this nonsense of continuing with the wedding?"

"We wanted to get married before-" Minju said, but was cut off.

"I care more about Eunyoung's health. How can I be happy when I know Eunyoung is still recovering from her accident?" Minju's mom crossed her arms. "Move the date of the wedding."

"What?" Minju's head was spinning. Her (and Eunyoung's) biggest motive for marrying so soon was to do it before her mother was too weak or too ill to be able to attend. Moving the wedding to a later date was almost unthinkable. "But, everything-"

"Everything will be there when you get married. I want my daughter-in-law to be well before I see you both walking down the aisle." Minju's mom gave them both a glare before softening her expression. "Now, I'm hungry. Where's the food?"

As if Eunyoung's parents had been waiting for the discussion to finish, both of them appeared out of nowhere with identical smiles. It creeped Chaewon out.

"We prepared some good barbeque! Hopefully you can enjoy it, too?" Minju's mom turned to look at them, her expression critical (probably because she knew they were also in on Eunyoung's 'amnesia' and didn't tell her either), but then smiled dryly.

"Let's see then. Come, you two. Let's enjoy some time together."

They unwittingly followed.

Minju's parents greeted everyone on their path to the free table Eunyoung's parents had saved for them. When they finally were at the table, everyone sat down while Minju's dad when to fetch food for his wife.

"How did they let you go out of the hospital?" Minju asked tentatively, still afraid of her mother's wrath, but the older woman seemed to have already classified the matter as settled, as she seemed more affable.

"I have my ways." She winked at Minju before turning to look at Chaewon. "I fear then, that you don't know me, do you?"

"Not really," Chaewon admitted.

"Well, then, we have time to talk to get to know each other again, don't we?" Minju's mom concluded. "Call me Eunjung."

"Okay," Chaewon agreed, far more comfortable with that than with affectionate nicknames.

"To be honest, I have never seen you defend Minnie so readily," Minju's mom said, a teasing smile on her face.

"I've never defended her?" Chaewon asked, already thinking of Eunyoung.

"Eunyoung-ie tends to be… pretty subservient," Minju's mom said carefully. "She won't usually get in the way of any problems I might have with Minnie, but you jumped immediately to her defense."

"Ah." Chaewon exclaimed.

"It's good to see you stick to Minju, even when you both did something dumb."

"Oh."

"Do you remember Minju?"

"Not really," Chaewon scratched her neck.

"And, have you spoken with her often?" Chaewon nodded. "Good. Are you still uncomfortable around her?"

"Not really."

"That's good. Maybe your memories will return. And? What have you been doing these past few days? Doubt you could really stay put."

"Oh, just… been with Minju," Chaewon answered; there wasn't much she could say, anyway.

"So you've been sticking up to Minnie?" Eunjung's smile was that of satisfaction. "This is what I want to see from you two. Hopefully, when you recover your memory, you'll stay close with Minnie."

"Uh, sure." Though the idea of Eunyoung being with Minju made her feel a like a rock dropped in her stomach, she agreed.

"So, what have you been up to, mom?" Minju asked, willing to take the spotlight away from Chaewon, thing that the latter appreciated.

"Nothing much, what with me being confined to that bed," Minju's mom answered with a hint of dramatism, making Chaewon smile a little.

Minju sighed, though there was a good-natured smile on her face. "So, you've just slept."

"Of course not! I read a new book this week," her mom answered. "And I beat several nurses at go."

"Did you really?" Minju asked skeptically.

"Of course," her mother declared with pride. "I really got better at it. I could definitely defeat your grandfather now if I played against him."

In that moment, Minju's dad returned with some food. "Well, here. I got you some meat. Take your pick."

"Oh, I've wanted to eat some beef for a while," Minju's mom said as her husband put a plate of beef in front of her. "Thank you, honey."

Suddenly, that weird uncle appeared in Chaewon's vision. "Hey, Eunyoung-ie. Wouldn't you like some meat, too?"

"Uh." The words 'fuck off' were at the tip of her tongue, but she had to be nice, as she had promised Minju. "No… Thanks."

"Why not? It looks delicious to me? Well, how about chicken?"

"I'm good." The uncle pouted.

"You're such a spoilsport, Eunyoung-ie. But, oh well." He shrugged. "We'll speak later." Chaewon turned to look at Minju, who only smiled at her, amused.

"You really don't want to eat anything?"

"Nah, I'm not hungry. Maybe later," Chaewon answered, turning to look at the cooler where the drinks were. "Maybe a drink or something."

"Eunyoung doesn't have a good alcohol tolerance," Minju warned.

"It's good. I wasn't planning on drinking alcohol." After a moment, Chaewon returned with a soda can in hand.

"Say, are you good at drinking?" Minju asked curiously, whispering so as to not be heard by her parents.

"I kind of have to," Chaewon answered. "Business transactions are usually done over a drink or a smoke. Then there's the occasional club party."

"Do you like it?"

"It's a chore," Chaewon answered. "I've done it so many times that it's boring to do on my free time."

"Ah." Minju exhaled in relief at the answer, as she preferred moderate drinkers. "That's good."

"Why? Are you going to police my drinking now?" Chaewon said, though her tone was light.

"If I have to," Minju teased.

"What? Are you my keeper now?" The idea didn't sound so bad to Minju, but that same feeling made her realize that she was thinking of Chaewon in a way she shouldn't.

"I guess not," she answered, though her mind was in trouble. If Chaewon really was another person altogether, why was she acting like she would with Eunyoung? She really needed to stop. Though, Chaewon was her friend, right? It was just natural to care for her friends.

Chaewon nodded, although Minju's answer left her dissatisfied for some reason.

"What are you chatting about?" Minju's mom asked, turning away from her husband to look at them.

"Oh, I'm just telling her about her drinking habits."

"Oh, right," Minju's mom said, laughing. "I remember one Christmas, the one Eunyoung-ie had already become an adult. She had one beer, and that was enough for her to cry over every little thing." Chaewon snorted.

"How pathetic," she said, but her smile was humorous.

"Yah!" Minju exclaimed, slapping Chaewon's thigh. "That's not pathetic."

"Moreover, are you saying you are pathetic?" Minju's mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

No, I'm saying Eunyoung is pathetic. "Maybe," Chaewon shrugged her shoulders. "Are you a lightweight?" she asked Minju.

"A little," Minju admitted. Eunjung laughed.

"Do you want to know what Minju ended up doing when she herself drank for the first time?"

"No, mom," Minju whined, but Eunjung's words already had Chaewon's full attention.

"What did she do?"

"She ended up throwing up on her uncle's sweater." Chaewon laughed at the mental image.

"Don't laugh," Minju whined, her face reddening at the memory.

"I can't not," Chaewon said. "How can one drink get you to throw up?"

"Maybe I'm intolerant to alcohol," Minju defended, indignant.

"Or you are weak as hell," Chaewon concluded, forgetting that she shouldn't curse. She was about to talk about herself, but she stopped, remembering that she wasn't Chaewon to these people. She was Eunyoung, and they were listening to her because they thought she was Eunyoung. She couldn't even tell them anything about her life. There was no point to it anyways.

Minju managed to see the dimming in Chaewon's mood, and tried helping by patting softly Chaewon's thigh, but that was of no help.

"I'm going to get another drink," Chaewon announced, standing up from her seat and walking towards the cooler. There was already one drink sitting on top of it, so she grabbed it absentmindedly.

Minju turned to look at her parents, who had also been surprised at the change in mood, and said, "I'll see what's going on." Following Chaewon, she grabbed onto her arm.

"What are you doing?" Chaewon asked dryly.

"Let's talk," Minju said. "Somewhere else," she added after a moment.

"Sorry," Chaewon apologized automatically, her voice void of any repentance.

"No, you didn't do anything wrong," Minju explained, then sighed. "Let's talk?"

"About what?" Chaewon asked, confused about the sudden need for a 'talk'.

"Let's get inside," Minju said, her voice more pleading. Chaewon looked at her for a moment before nodding. Walking inside Eunyoung's house, Minju took her to Eunyoung's room, where she knew they wouldn't be bothered.

After she had closed the door, she asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Not much," Chaewon said nonchalantly.

"Don't lie to me," Minju warned. "You were having fun when talking to my mom… What happened?"

"Nothing." And really, it was nothing. She had just been reminded that this was nothing but a performance.

"It can't be nothing," Minju insisted. "Chaewon, I saw you."

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Chaewon asked defensively.

"The truth."

"What truth?"

"Why did you suddenly stand up in the middle of our talk?"

"I was thirsty."

"Chaewon," Minju said, exasperated. "Your can wasn't even empty."

"How did you know? Did you weigh the damn can?" Minju sighed. She was aware of where this conversation was heading.

"Chaewon, stop. I don't want to fight you."

"Then maybe stop asking stupid shit." Chaewon immediately realized the effect of her words when she saw the hurt in Minju's eyes. "Wait… No, sorry."

"You should stop saying sorry if you don't mean it," Minju said before turning to walk out of the room. She wanted to hide the sting that Chaewon's words produced.

Chaewon rushed to grab her arm. "No, Minju. I am sorry. I really am. I'm a fucking idiot." There was silence for a moment, but Chaewon was relieved that Minju didn't shake off her grip.

"Why do you feel the need to insult me when I want to care for you?"

Chaewon wanted to lash out, but she contained herself. It was Minju, and talking to Minju was… okay. "I… it's just… I don't know how to do these things."

"What things?" Chaewon squirmed, uncomfortable with the question.

"The talking about… how you feel and such."

"I don't want you to do an essay on your feelings." Minju sighed, turning around to face Chaewon. "I just want you to be honest. What made you leave the table?" she asked again.

"Ah… well…" Chaewon stuttered, not really knowing what to say. "It's just… it's stupid."

"What you feel isn't stupid," Minju said, her tone softer. "Your feelings aren't stupid."

"It's just…" Chaewon tried again. "I just… Agh… I just realized… they think I'm Eunyoung, so it doesn't even matter what I say to them."

"Why wouldn't it matter?"

"They wouldn't give a shit if they knew I'm not their precious daughter-in-law." Minju ignored the jab at Eunyoung.

"You really think they wouldn't care?" Minju asked sadly. "They would, Chaewon. If they knew what was going on, they would care about you." Chaewon hummed, not giving away her real thoughts. "What makes you think they wouldn't?"

"Why would they?" Chaewon countered. "I'm an absolute stranger to them. Why the fuck would they care about a stranger?"

"That IS kindness," Minju pointed out.

"It's not. It's fucking charity."

"What? What are you talking about?" Minju knew that Chaewon's words stemmed from somewhere else.

"What other reason would you have to speak to a stranger if not because you want to feel good about yourself?"

"Maybe because, inside them, there's is empathy, and empathy is not the same as pity."

"It's not?" Chaewon asked in defiance, arching an eyebrow.

"We weren't friends," Minju tried approaching the matter in another way. "You and me."

"But you thought I was your fiancee," Chaewon pointed out.

"And when I discovered you weren't, I still cared about you, even when you have treated me badly." Minju's words made Chaewon feel a pinprick of guilt. Chaewon shook her head, hating the feeling.

"But you're… you," Chaewon countered.

"And you think nobody else can be like me?"

Chaewon's sudden intense gaze made Minju feel nervous. What was she thinking? "You… I have never met someone like you." Minju lowered her head, unable to meet Chaewon's eyes. She heard a sigh. "Through all my life, the rule has been every man for himself… Just… There has never been a person I've met who has truly cared for no reason… Until you, that is."

"There are many people like me, people that truly care. Believe me when I say I'm not the only one." Chaewon found it hard to believe in the beginning, but then again, she had lived in a shit neighborhood, and she worked in a shitty job, so what did she know?

"I'll… take your word for it," Chaewon said finally, making Minju sigh. "But it's weird to talk to your parents as if I'm someone else."

"You want to stay here for a while?" Minju asked, aware that, at the end of the day, Chaewon hadn't asked for this. She had been burdened with someone else's life.

Chaewon thought about it for a moment. "Nah. Eunyoung's room kind of freaks me out."

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

"It's too… clean." Chaewon's answer made Minju laugh in disbelief.

"Is your room a pigsty?"

"No," Chaewon denied. "Just not… this."

"Okay, then you want to return with my parents?"

"I guess so." Chaewon shrugged.

"Let's go, then."

When they returned to the table, Minju's mom was already talking to some of Eunyoung's family members, who seemed to have sat with Minju's parents when they left.

"Hey, come play!" said another family member who was sitting at another table.

"What's that?" Chaewon asked, but her questions were answered when they got closer to the table. "Monopoly?"

"Oh, I love Monopoly!" Minju exclaimed, but then turned to look at Chaewon, as if reminded of her awkward partner. "Is it okay if we play?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Chaewon answered. She had no idea of how to play Monopoly, but Minju seemed pretty enthusiastic, so she would roll with it.

"Do you still remember how to play Monopoly, Eunyoungie?" the annoying uncle asked, nudging her slightly.

Resisting the need to slap his smug face senseless, she said, "I'm not playing."

"How come, Eunyoung?" asked another aunt. "You loved Monopoly!"

Chaewon cringed, turning to look at Minju, so as to look for some support, but the latter just smiled at her encouragingly. "I promise you'll love it."

Either Minju had magically forgotten Chaewon's personality or had lied.

"Teehee, you fell again in my hotel," the annoying uncle announced innocently, batting his eyelashes at Chaewon, who scowled at him.

"Fuck-"

"You'll have to mortgage your house, honey," Minju interrupted her outburst with a loud voice. Chaewon could feel Minju grabbing her arm as if to stop her from saying more.

Chaewon had to take a deep breath before answering. "Okay, let me mortgage this," she said, gritting her teeth. For some damn reason, that uncle had done the most to fuck Chaewon over, ignoring the other members of Eunyoung's family who were playing as well. And what vexed Chaewon the most was that the damn man had managed to not fall in any of her spaces, gloating as he passed them by.

With difficulty, she handed him the money she owed him, cursing under her breath as she did so.

"Okay, my turn," another aunt said, throwing the dices. "One, two, three... Oh, whose space is this?"

"It's mine," Minju said in a sing-song voice. "Pay up, auntie." Chaewon tried hard to keep herself angry, but the sight of Minju's victorious grin made it difficult to.

"Thank you," the younger woman said, taking the money and putting it in the big pile of money she already had.

The only salvageable thing about this stupid game was seeing Minju wipe the floor with everyone. Right at the beginning, Chaewon had thought that Minju would easily lose, as her choices didn't seem to make sense, but soon enough, she was setting hotels left and right, leaving some of the other players in bankruptcy with a wide smile on her face and a victorious dance. Chaewon had never been more amused at someone.

Who would've thought softie Minju would be so competitive?

"Are you yet in love with her again?" an aunt whispered, startling Chaewon slightly.

"What?" Chaewon deadpanned.

"You can't hide it, Eunyoung-ie. I can see your smile," the aunt teased.

Chaewon felt tempted to tell the woman off, but she knew she was supposed to be acting as Eunyoung, and swearing at people was off limits, so she just grumbled, "So what? I can't smile?"

The questions went unanswered, which just fit Chaewon fine, as it was finally that woman's turn.

"Oh, seems I'm out of the game," the aunt said, not as bummed as Chaewon would've felt if she was in her shoes, most likely because she saw it coming. "Guess I'll just watch." Or who knows? She was watching Chaewon with a suspicious glint in her eyes.

The game proceded with no other incident, with Minju becoming even richer, and Chaewon barely escaping bankruptcy. The aunt continued to watch both her and Minju, irking the former off, but, unable to actually scare her off, she just grumbled every now and then about nosy aunts, whose strange surveillance made their comments overstay their welcome in Chaewon's head.

"Okay, then it's your turn." Chaewon had felt the pressure rise in the last turns, as Minju had managed to bankrupt another player, and the annoying uncle was still on the game, still giving her this infuriating smirk, as if he was waiting for the moment that she would lose.

"Right."

Throwing the dices, Chaewon mentally counted the spaces she'd have to go. "Shit," she bursted out when she realized what was about to happen. Minju sputtered.

"Sorry, sorry you had to hear that," Minju apologized to the people at the table, who looked mildly surprised at Chaewon's involuntary curse.

Chaewon didn't say anything, as she was completely concentrated in not bursting into flames of rage. Her figurine fell in another space of that annoying fucker.

"Oh, again?" The uncle looked at Chaewon, indulging entirely on Chaewon's deadpan expression.

"Yes," she answered crisply. Moving quietly, she took the rest of her money, giving it to the person who was managing the bank. "I'm out."

"Well, better luck next time."

Minju was immediately able to see how Chaewon's expression colored with anger, but, quicker to act than her friend, she circled Chaewon's waist with her arms, knowing that, if Chaewon was furious, she wouldn't be able to stop her by just pulling her sleeve.

"You played well," Minju said as calmly as she could, so no one would really catch what was actually happening between her and Chaewon.

Chaewon, whose body had gone rigid, just like every time Minju had ever hugged her, just sat there for a few moments in silence, as if she was trying to find her voice, then said, "Yeah, I know." She tried shrugging Minju off, but since the latter wouldn't let go, Chaewon huffed, moving to whisper in Minju's ear. "I'm not going to murder him. Not today, at least."

"You promise?"

"Yeah, yeah," Chaewon said dismissively. The arms around her finally loosened, and Chaewon got up from her seat. "I'm getting a drink."

Although Minju had realized that Chaewon was using the drinks as a way to detach herself from a bad situation, she just let her go, thinking that it was probably for the best if Chaewon was still angry at Eunyoung's uncle.

However, the emotion that compelled Chaewon to leave the table was not anger, but irritation (yes, there is a difference between those two emotions; Chaewon would know). Irritation against the uncle? No, although she would definitely plan her (bloodless, as she had promised Minju) revenge soon. She was irritated at the aunt who had stayed to stare at her like a creepy ass stalker.

Minju hadn't been able to see, but when she had grabbed onto Chaewon to stop her from throttling the uncle, the aunt had smiled at her knowingly, mouthing something at Chaewon that she couldn't decipher, but that it wasn't that hard to guess. For some reason or the other, that aunt was deadset on her falling in love with Minju.

And that's a fucking ridiculous notion, isn't it? Just because she found Minju amusing, it doesn't mean she's going to fall in love with her. Minju is likable, period. Love is, and has never been, on the equation.

But why was she so worked up about it? After all, the aunt believes she is Eunyoung, who is going to marry Minju soon. Love is a pretty urgent matter in that apparent situation.

Yeah, she was overthinking a lot, when she is usually not prone to doing so.

But it still irritated her, somehow.

She could sense Minju coming closer, so she turned around, shrugging off her thoughts.

"I won," Minju said victoriously, gleaming a smile at her. It made Chaewon's heart feel strange, but she knew it was just her irritation. Right?

"Called it," she answered simply.

"So, no more murder plans?"

"Nah, I'm just…" Chaewon looked around. "Here… doing nothing."

Her words were not convincing to Minju, but they made the latter smile nonetheless. Chaewon's unexpected awkwardness was a bit endearing to watch.

"So, how long until we leave?" The question erased Minju's smile.

"Do you really dislike them that much?" Minju's tone was sad. She understood Chaewon's awkwardness in acting like someone she was not, but the strong feelings she seemed to have towards Eunyoung's family members saddened her.

"No," Chaewon denied. "It's just that I don't get how people can spend so many hours together and not want to go home."

Ah, so Chaewon was an introvert. Minju felt quite surprised that the person that could literally break a mortician's nose or enter into a fight ring was rather introverted. "You don't spend time with others when you're… you?"

Chaewon snorted. "Spending time is literally just to stay there guarding some big dog or something. We don't do talking, unless it's to talk about some plans or a job the higher ups give you."

"Isn't that boring, though? Guarding someone, I mean." She had never had the opportunity to really ask something like this, so she was curious. She had always wondered about bodyguards and although Chaewon was not one (very, very far from it), her job description was still a bit closer to that.

"It bores me to tears," Chaewon answered. "That's why I've always liked going out on jobs."

That made Minju grimace. Despite already knowing what Chaewon's job was, she still couldn't get used to getting reminded about what her job precisely entailed.

She wanted to question further, as a way to reassure herself that Chaewon is not the cruel person most would think her to be, but she remembered their conversation a few days ago. She let it be, hoping that Chaewon maybe could explain this to her one day. "I get it."

Chaewon contained a sigh. "You don't, but that's cool."

Their conversation was cut short when they heard the thrum of a guitar, alongside the voices of people who sounded like they were drunk.

"What the fuck?" Chaewon asked, looking at the people that were sitting in a circle around the person who was playing the guitar.

"Uh, it's kind of normal for the family to hear music and sing." Minju hit Chaewon's arm when she saw her expression. "Don't be so judgemental."

"Uh huh." But it was obvious that Chaewon was judging them. "You sure they're not drunk?"

"Come join us!" Another family member yelled, making Chaewon cringe.

"It's not that bad," Minju said when Chaewon looked at her, her expression the embodiment of a fight or flight response. "Come on."

With a sigh, Chaewon just followed Minju, mumbling to herself, "I promised I wouldn't be shit. I promised."

By the time they arrived, Eunyoung's family had already made enough space for both of the women to sit together. It was a relief that they continued singing, not paying much attention to either of them. As it was, Chaewon was bewildered to be in the middle of all of these people singing for no reason.

Feeling a hand on her arm, she turned to look at Minju, who was gazing at her probingly.

"What?"

"Do you know this song?" At this prompting, Chaewon paid attention to the song. She recognized it immediately. It took her to those times her father would be fine-tuning his truck on a weekend, music blasting from his old fashioned radio.

"Of course." Chaewon nodded.

"Then sing with us, Eunyoung-ie!" someone, who had overheard, prompted, making Chaewon cringe again.

"Hell-"

"Please," Minju pleaded under her breath. "Just this one song." When Chaewon was about to protest again, Minju said, "for me?"

Chaewon sighed. She hated Minju's aegyo, dammit. "Fine."

Minju's expectations for Chaewon's singing (which were more of amusement than anything) were dashed to the ground when she heard Chaewon sing softly. Her voice was careful, but clear, ringing in her ears like an angel's melody. This voice was a contrast to Chaewon's otherwise rough facade, but, most importantly… This was most definitely NOT Eunyoung's voice.

Most of the family members were similarly floored, to the point that even the person playing the guitar stopped, as he was unable to stop himself from gaping at Chaewon in shock.

"What?" Chaewon asked, irritation seeping into her tone, most likely due to the fact that everyone's eyes were on her. Minju noted dully that Chaewon's voice was again Eunyoung's voice.

"No, just… where did you learn to sing, Eunyoung-ie?" one aunt asked.

"Nowhere," Chaewon answered bitingly, her body already on the defensive. This made the family members murmur between themselves. "What?"

"We just didn't know you could sing that well," a cousin playing the guitar said.

"Yeah," some uncle said. "Your voice is amazing."

These words froze Chaewon for a moment, but she ended up shrugging her shoulders. Despite that, Minju could see the fluster she was desperately trying to hide. "I dunno about that."

After those words were uttered, everyone sent a barrage of comments on Chaewon's voice, which only made Chaewon look to the ground, her body sinking into itself, as if to hide herself from everyone. Minju, noticing the strange body language, grinned, endeared at Chaewon's shyness.

Although Minju had wanted to question Chaewon immediately, she waited until the comments ceased to finally take Chaewon aside.

"What?" Chaewon asked again when they were finally far enough from the rest of the family.

"Is that your real voice?" The question made Chaewon flinch a little, but she hid it quickly.

"Yeah, weird, huh?" The fake nonchalant response tickled Minju.

"It's really beautiful." If Chaewon's response to the praise bestowed by the rest of the family members was fluster, Minju's words made Chaewon blush to the tip of her ears. She tried hiding by turning her head, but Minju's was able to see it. "It really is. I'd really love to hear more," Minju praised further, wanting to see more of this embarrassed Chaewon.

"Stop bullshitting me," she growled, but her tone had no bite. "Whatever, do you think this means something?"

This sobered Minju up. "I don't know," she answered. "You think it does?"

"Maybe… maybe this means that Eunyoung and I will change bodies again."

Minju could only hope that this was true, but, "Did you feel something different when you were singing?"

Chaewon shook her head. "I felt normal, just noticed I was singing with my real voice."

"Then we really need to get to the shaman as soon as possible," Minju said, her mind whirling with the possibilities. Composing herself, she told Chaewon, "we should go back."

"Do we have to?"

Minju grinned wildly at Chaewon's tone. "Is… is that a whine?"

"No," Chaewon growled, but it was obvious by now that her menacing tone held no ground.

"It is," Minju confirmed, giggling right after. "Are you really that embarrassed by compliments?"

"No," Chaewon continued denying, getting even more flustered at the question.

"You are, but that's okay." Minju linked her arm with Chaewon, surprising the latter. "Let's go?"

"Uh, okay," Chaewon mumbled. Somehow, Minju's touch made her feel even more embarrassed. Maybe she needed to be alone? Who knows.

When they had sat back on the floor, everyone was already singing another song, but it was obvious they were expecting Chaewon to join. The latter didn't join, and Minju didn't plead with her anymore.

After two songs where Chaewon didn't sing, the cousin playing the guitar questioned, "Why are you not singing?"

"Why should I?" Chaewon raised an eyebrow, her normal hostile tone regained. This made Minju grimace.

"Why shouldn't you?" he shot back. Despite the rebuttal, Chaewon didn't seem to get irritated at it (at least, no more than she usually gets).

"I don't want to?" Minju grabbed Chaewon's arm. "I'm good with just listening," she mended.

"It's fine if she doesn't want to," the annoying Monopoly aunt intervened. "It's enough that she is here with us, safe and sound."

Other family members nodded, agreeing with the sentiment.

"It's true," Eunyoung's father said. "As long as you are here with us, we're happy."

There was no answer from Chaewon, so Minju turned to look at her. Her expression revealed something almost wondorous happening inside her mind, as if a revolution was taking place. The resulting expression, however, made Minju's heart pang.

Longing.


End file.
